Bohemian Secrets
by raidersrule456
Summary: Every Bohemian has a secret. It's part of their lifestyle. In this story, each of the six friends has a dark secret to hide. Find out what they are! READ AND REVIEW PLEASE!
1. Mark's Secret

AN: This is a fic where each of the six Bohemians has a secret they are trying to hide from each other. We'll begin with a short chapter that reveals each secret, and then we'll get into the good stuff. Enjoy!!! And REVIEW!!!

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Rent. If I owned Rent do you think I would be writing fanfiction stories about it?**

Bohemian Secrets

The pill bottle was in Mark's hand. He stood in the bathroom of his loft apartment, his five friends in the living room outside. He quickly skimmed over the label instructions with frightened blue eyes. This was crazy. He could barely read the tiny writing his hand was shaking so badly. He grasped his wrist with his other hand and focused through his glasses. It clearly read, _Roger Davis. AZT. Take one tablet by mouth twice daily as indicated by beeper. _

How had he gotten himself into this mess? He was still bitter over the whole ordeal. You let your guard down for one minute, and you get slammed. That's the way life seemed to work for him. Oh well. It was now or never.

The doctor had offered him a prescription, but Mark couldn't afford it right now. He would pick up his own prescription next week. In the mean time, he could borrow pills from Roger, Collins, and Mimi. It wouldn't work for long, they would soon notice their medication disappearing.

He held the pill up to his mouth and stopped when there was a knock on the door. It was Maureen. "Mark? You okay? You've been in there for awhile."

"Coming!" said Mark. He popped the pill into his mouth and swallowed hard.


	2. Mimi's Secret

AN: OMG... listen I made a BIG mistake earlier... I accidentally posted a bunch of extra stuff I wasn't supposed to... I deleted the other chapter though and I'm reposting it, and so far I think only one person saw it...if you did see it though, don't inform anyone...sorry again.

Anyway... here's your chapter. PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Rent. If I did do you think I'd be writing fanfiction stories about it?**

Mimi ran into the bathroom and quietly closed and locked the door. Roger had to be out now. She hadn't heard him snoring as usual, but surely he was asleep.

She quickly got down to her knees and leaned over the floor tile. Using her long, painted nails, she lifted the loose tile out of the floor, and set it down, revealing a small space with four items inside. She lifted them out and set them on the counter of the bathroom. Pausing to make sure she heard no one was awake, she made sure she had everything she needed. Lighter, check. Spoon, check. Needle, check. Stash, check.

Taking the spoon in one hand and the bag in another, she poured the white, crystalline powder out into the utensil. Once it was full, she set it down. She turned the sink on to a trickle and lifted the spoon under it, letting the powder become fully saturated. It was now a liquid. She held the spoon high, and took the lighter in her other hand. After a few attempts, the flame appeared. Slowly, carefully, she held the lighter directly under the spoon full of the cloudy liquid. After about ten seconds, the spoon had become hot and the solution had turned jet black. She set the lighter down and took the needle in her free hand. Using her mouth to pull the cap off the back of the needle, she poured the hot substance out of the spoon and into it. She set the spoon down, put the cap back on the needle, and took her seat on the toilet.

Mimi raised her free hand high, and smacked her thigh as hard as she could, wincing at the pain. She squinted at her skin. Nope, not yet. She should have known, it never appears on the first try. She raised her hand and repeated, looking again at her thigh. She smiled when she saw the thin, unused vein.

She lifted the needle again and took a deep breath as she stared at it. Shaking her head she whispered, "I'm sorry, Roger." She lowered the point to her skin where the line was, and inserted it. As she did, she pressed on the back of the needle, sending the poison into her body. She removed the needle, set it on the counter and sat back against the seat. She shuddered and grinned as the hot, liquid pleasure fluttered through her veins. She had entered her world. A world where there was no rent to pay, no boyfriend to pay attention to, no dead-end job that she despised. There was only bliss. Pure, untapped happiness. The work that she had done to get this stuff seemed well worth it now.

The entire process was just as familiar to her as it was three months ago.

AN: Ta-da! Hope you liked it! Once again, forget what you saw before... if you saw it. God, I hope it doesn't do this again... anyway, REVEW!!!!!!!!!


	3. Roger's Secret

AN: Enjoy! This secret is a bit more tame than the previous two. REVIEW!!!!

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Rent. If I did do you think I'd be writing fanfiction stories about it?**

Roger crept into the living room of the Loft. It was very dark. Mimi and Mark were both asleep. Maureen, Joanne, and Collins had left hours ago. He picked up the cordless phone and took it out into the hallway of the apartment. Leaning against the wall, he waited for the call.

About a month after he wrote the song for Mimi, Roger had been heavily inspired musically. He got really passionate about his art. He wanted more than just plain old songwriting. So he called up some ex-band members and they all agreed it was time to get the Well Hungarians back together.

They worked hard for a week, writing songs and practicing. Finally, they got a gig with a club in the Village called Fire in the Hole. It paid handsomely, enough for splurging every now and then.

But this was more than just a gig. Roger's band had signed a legal contract that said they would work for this club under any circumstances. If they broke it and quit, they would face a hefty penalty fee and possibly a lawsuit.

The phone rang. He pressed the button on the receiver and answered. "Hello?"

"Roger, it's Alan."

"Yeah? Did you get out of it?"

His band member was silent. With that, Roger knew the answer. "No. They said if we don't move with them the contract will be breeched."

Roger sighed heavily. "And we can't afford that."

"Hell no. Look's like we're moving to San Francisco."

Roger began to pace down the hallway. "Oh my God," he said, shaking his head.

"I know. It's crazy." Alan didn't sound quite as frazzled as Roger. Of course, Alan had stuff to make him un-frazzled. "What are you going to tell Mimi?"

Roger winced at the very thought of telling Mimi he was moving away. "I don't know. I'll think of something. Look I'll call you and the guys later, man." He hung up.

Roger sat down on the floor. He knew it wasn't safe to be out in the hall at this hour, but he wasn't ready to go back inside. He stared into space for a short while before finally standing up and heading back to bed.

REVIEW!!! REVIEW!!! PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!


	4. Maureen's Secret

AN: Hey, here it is...sorry these chappys are taking so long, but I got a lot of sht on my plate. Anyway, many of you have expressed your concern for these characters and the severity of their secrets. Yes, I realize that there is a lot of suspense and drama in this fic. That is how I write. I can't stand those nice little fics with no conflict or plot. I won't read that crap. Don't worry, these guys will be fine. And to those of you who think I won't be able to pull this off and make it work out in the end... you just wait and see.

Enjoy and REVIEW!!!!!!!!

**DISCLAIMER: Blah, blah, blah, I don't own Rent. You know the deal by now. **

Maureen sat on the toilet in her and Joanne's midsize apartment. They had just gotten back from Mark, Mimi, and Roger's place. Maureen and Joanne had gone straight to bed, and once she was sure Joanne was asleep, Maureen snuck off to the bathroom.

She looked at her watch. One minute to go until it was ready. She had never been so nervous before in her life. How could she have been so careless? One night of fun and now… her whole life could change.

One week ago, Maureen had missed her period. She was a little miffed, but it wasn't the first time it had happened. Three days passed and still nothing. She was at the point where she was too worried to just ignore it, but not worried enough to shell out ten bucks for a pregnancy test.

Then came the vomiting. It started late in the afternoon before dinner and lasted until nearly midnight. It wasn't difficult to hide from Joanne since she spent most of the evening buried in legal documents.

Seven days after her missed period, she went down to the supermarket on 10th street and purchased a pregnancy test. And now was her chance to use it. She had spent all day praying to see red.

Maureen heard Joanne stirring in the next room. She must be having those nightmares again. She looked at her watch. It was time. She took a deep breath, lifted the stick from the counter, and stared down at it.

And gasped as the blue filled her eyes.

REVIEW!!!!!!!! REVIEW!!!!!!!!! REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!


	5. Joanne's Secret

AN: I want to thank you guys for all the reviews you've been pouring in. It really means a lot. I'm not that experienced in the fanfic world and I really appreciate reviews. And since you've been such good little children, I'm updating a bit sooner than last time. Keep it up and REVIEW!!!!!

**DISCLAIMER: Jonathan Larson, forgive me for butchering your characters like this.**

Joanne woke with a start in the middle of the night, eyes wide and drenched in sweat. She was lying in her and Maureen's bed, in their apartment. Maureen was absent.

She had just had the most wonderful dream. Or, she should say, the most awful dream. She turned and looked at the clock to her right. It was two-thirty in the morning. Groaning, she fell back on her pillow. That was it, she thought. If she had it again, she was going to a therapist.

In her dream, she was sitting in Mark and Roger's apartment alone, reading a book. And all of a sudden, it started to get really hot. REALLY hot. She was also wearing a winter coat and sweatpants, which she desperately wanted to take off. And then Mark burst in through the door of the Loft. He ran over to her, plopped down on the couch and said, "You must be burning up in that Eskimo coat. Why don't you take it off?" Joanne nodded vigorously and threw off her coat, leaving her in a white tank top. "And those pants," said Mark, "they look so tight. You should take those off, too." Joanne obliged, and continued to strip for Mark until she was completely nude. Mark smiled and said, "My turn?"

The rest of the dream was completely R-rated.

Joanne rose from the bed and switched on the lamp. She walked over to Maureen's dresser and opened the top drawer. Reaching towards the back of it, she pulled out a picture surrounded by a frame. She walked over to the bed with it and sat down, holding it under the light of the small lamp.

It was a picture of a young man, strawberry blonde with deep blue eyes. He wore geeky glasses, a blue and white scarf, and a red polyester jacket. He was smiling at the camera, a small smile that showed only a few of his starched white teeth. In his hands was the large camera that he took with him everywhere he went. The picture was taken a little over a year ago, in the park on a snowy January day.

Joanne smiled down at the picture, stroking Mark's face with her fingers. Tears were in her eyes. How could she be feeling this way? She never fell for men. She was a straight-up, 110 lesbian, unlike the bisexual Maureen. But Joanne felt more for this man then she ever had for any woman. Everything from the way he talked passionately about film, to the simple way he laughed was perfect in Joanne's eyes.

It was time to admit it to herself.

She was in love with Mark.

REVIEWS POR FAVOR!!!!!


	6. Collins' Secret

AN: Really sorry this chapter took so long. But you know, 'tis the season to be overworked and stressed. Anyway, before you read this, I want you to know this secret is pretty intense. I struggled with this for awhile before finally deciding to go with it. I am taking a big risk here. Please let me know if you don't like it. But I hope you do. Enjoy and review!

PS. The last part of this chapter isn't really part of the secret, just something I threw in.

**DISCLAIMER: Jonathan Larson, forgive me for butchering your characters like this.**

Collins stood on the dark corner of 11th and Avenue A. He checked his watch. It was three A.M. He hated working at this hour, but God knows he needed the money.

About two weeks earlier, Collins had lost his job at NYU. It had happened so fast, Collins had been stunned. The dean had simply walked into his office and _bam, _hit him with it. Apparently, it was somehow against the university's rule to allow HIV+ people to work there. Students had been complaining. Collins had been shocked and threatened to sue, even thought about hiring Joanne for legal support, but what was the point? _Collins v. NYU. _That wouldn't be much of a battle.

Soon after he was fired, Collins realized that there was simply no way to pay for the things he needed without a job that paid plenty. So, he realized what he had to do. He had toiled with this decision for days, even lost sleep over it. Was he really willing to stoop that low to pay the rent? It was a battle of conscience. However, as unappealing as the idea was, it would only be for a few nights until he could get some sort of job. He was not proud of it, but if it was the only way….

As he stood on the corner, a cab pulled up and a young man stepped out. "Are you John?" Collins asked as the cab pulled away.

He nodded. "So, how much?"

"Two-hundred dollars an hour, up front. Although I doubt you'll need more than an hour," he said with a smile.

The john nodded and pulled out his wallet. He and Collins began to walk to an alley where Collins' rental car sat. "I hope you brought a rubber," the john added, handing him four fifty dollar bills.

Collins took it. "Don't worry, there's plenty in the glove compartment." They walked over to the car and got in the backseat.

It was over in five short minutes. Halfway through the process Collins asked himself, _how had it come to this?_

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The six bohemians sat in the living room of the Loft watching a cheap rented movie. Each and every one of them in that room was thinking the same thing:

_What if they find out?_

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Ta-da! Congratulations, we're now done with the secrets! It's time to start the really good stuff. REVIEW!!!!


	7. Needles And Newspapers

AN: Okay... you know all their secrets, now let's see how the story plays out. REVIEW!!!

**DISCLAIMER: All of the main characters in this story belong to the late, great, Jonathan Larson.**

Mark stood in the Loft, standing in the kitchen and sipping his morning Bustelo. Roger and Collins were in the living room. Mark stared off into space, deep in thought.

"Mark. _Mark._" Mark looked up at Roger. "I said, can you hand me the paper?"

"Oh," Mark said, setting the cup down and tossing the news to his roommate. Collins chuckled.

Roger scanned the front page of the _Village Voice_. "Looks like they're cracking down on street prostitution."

At this, Collins coughed, choking on his coffee. "What?" he spat, trying to clear his throat. Mark walked in and sat on the couch.

"It says right here," said Roger. "'Due to overwhelming amounts of street prostitution in Lower Manhattan, the NYPD has decided to deploy numerous patrol cars to scan the areas known to have the most activity. These areas include all of Alphabet City, the Lower East Side, and Chinatown. Also, money will be put into 'watch groups' that will act to discourage prostitution.'"

"Finally," said Mark. "At least this city can do one thing right."

Collins began to twiddle his thumbs and rock back and forth nervously, staring at the coffee table in front of him. Roger noticed this and set down the paper. "You okay, man?"

Collins head jerked up at him. "Yeah… I'm fine. Look, I gotta go." He downed the last dregs of his coffee, stood up, and left the apartment, grabbing his coat as he went.

Mark and Roger exchanged strange looks. Mark was about to say something when Joanne burst in the apartment directly after Collins left.

"Guys, guys, guess what?" she said excitedly.

They both turned to face her. "What?" asked Mark.

Joanne began to pull something out of her pocket when she noticed Mark. She stopped. Her mouth began to hang open slightly and she stared at him, with a longing, almost.

Mark narrowed his eyes quizzically. "Uh… you alright Joanne?"

She shook her head a little and snapped out of her trance. "Yeah, fine… anyway, I was on my way to work today and I passed by this huge crowd in the park, and they were having some kind of special raffle or something. Anyway I put my name in and I won--" she whipped something out of her pocket, "—six tickets to the Nirvana concert in two weeks!"

Both Mark and Roger's mouths dropped. Roger stood and snatched the tickets out of Joanne's hands, looking at them as though they were a cure for something. Mark shouted, "No way!" Nirvana was one of the group's favorite bands.

Joanne nodded. Roger continued to stare at the tickets, and Joanne swore she could see a tiny bit of water in the rocker's eyes.

"Roger, you okay?" asked Joanne.

He finally looked up and quickly wiped his eyes. "Joanne, I love you!" He threw her into a bear hug, nearly knocking her back.

She laughed and hugged him. "No problem, Roger."

They sat down on the couch and Joanne asked, "You guys are free the weekend of the sixth, right?"

Mark thought a moment, and then nodded. "Roger?" said Joanne.

"Absolu—wait." He looked at the date on the tickets as it hit him.

"What?" she asked. "Is there something?"

Roger looked up at her. "Well…it's just…. No, I'm free."

She smiled. "Great. Well, I need to get to work. Bye, you guys." She stood and her eyes fell on Mark again.

"Bye," he said.

She nodded and blushed. "Bye," she said nervously, and then left in a hurry.

After the door was closed, Mark said to Roger, "What's with her?"

But Roger wasn't listening. Just staring at the date on the tickets Joanne had given them.

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Annette was the oldest stripper to ever work at the Catscratch Club. She was a whopping 25, bleached-blonde and soft skin. She was just as drop dead gorgeous as the rest of the dancers.

Annette sat in the huge, brightly lit dressing room with counters lined up along the wall for the dancers to apply gallons of cover-up and gloss. She sat at her station, touching up on her fiery red lipstick when Chantelle, the sexy 21-year old brunette, walked up and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Have you seen Meems?" she asked.

Annette looked to her left to where Mimi usually sat before she went up. Her purse sat on the chair of her station. "She was just here a second ago," said Annette, standing up in her full-on stripper getup. "She must have gone on."

Chantelle walked over to Mimi's spot and picked up her purse. "She owes me money," she said, shaking her head. She began to reach into the bag.

Annette stopped her. "What?" she hissed, grabbing her arm. "Are you crazy? If Teddy catches you, he'll fire you."

Chantelle rolled her eyes and wrenched free of her grip. "She owes me twenty bucks, and if I don't take it now, I'll never get it."

But Annette, who had been raised hard-core Baptist, would have none of it. She grabbed onto the fake leather strap and pulled. Too hard. It slipped out of her hands and fell to the floor next to her, the contests spilling out.

Chantelle scowled and stomped her foot. "Look what you did!" Then she gasped. Both stared down at the things that had spilled out. Keys, checkbook, compact, the usual items. Except for one.

There on the floor, laid a black-stained hypodermic needle.

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Yep, things are heating up. Remember, the more you review the more motivated I am to keep writing, which means the faster I'll update chapters. So... REVIEW PLEASE!!!


	8. Doctor's Visit

AN: Thanks SO much for all the reviews! I'm loving them. And sorry the chapter took so long, but I've been a little busier than normal. The next one should be up soon. Enjoy and keep reveiwing!!!

**DISCLAIMER: Don't own Rent. You know that. **

Maureen sat in the waiting room of the doctor's office, trying to focus on her magazine but looking up at the office door every ten seconds. She nervously bit her nails and waited.

The receptionist noticed how nervous she was and slid open the glass window of her cubicle. "It won't be much longer, dear. The doctor is very busy today." She smiled and slid back the glass.

Maureen rolled her eyes and returned to her periodical. When weren't those guys very busy? After another five long minutes, the medical assistant appeared in the doorway, looked at her clipboard and called, "Maureen Johnson?"

Maureen stood and followed her through the door to the small room. Sitting on the tiny chair, she continued to wait. Once the doctor was finally in he looked at the information on his clipboard and said, "Okay, Maureen, how are we feeling today?"

"Terrified. I just found out I'm pregnant." She sat and waited for his response.

He nodded. "I see. Well, we should take a sonogram and make sure everything's okay. Follow me." He began to leave the room and beckoned for Maureen to follow.

Half an hour later, Maureen sat in a much larger room on a comfy bed. She was wearing a hospital gown and sat facing the television screen in anticipation. The doctor entered and took a seat, once again staring at his information. "Well, Maureen, based on your urine sample, we have found that you are definitely pregnant. Congratulations." He smiled.

Maureen folded her arms. "Don't congratulate me. After this, it's off to the abortion clinic."

The doctor sighed and stood. "That's… really none of my business." He began to turn a few knobs on the television. "Sharon get you all hooked up?"

"Yeah… she's a cute one," said Maureen, remembering the sexy nurse who had prepped her for this sonogram.

The doctor chuckled and nodded. "She sure is. Okay, Maureen, here we go. I'll point out the embryo when it appears. Is the father coming?"

Maureen snorted. "Doc, I don't even know the person who's fathering this baby. I barely remember what he looked like." He stared at her. She sighed. "No, the father is not coming."

He nodded and looked back at the TV screen. "Okay, Maureen... here it is."

Suddenly, the room was filled with a pulsing sound. It was echoic, and its sound was throbbing and rhythmic. Maureen looked at the doctor. "Is that…."

"That's your baby's heartbeat. And look." He pointed to the screen. It was now grayish black, and all sorts of fuzzy shapes filled the area Maureen saw.

"What am I looking at?" she asked.

"Your uterus. And this is your baby." He pointed to a space at the center of the screen, where Maureen could just barely make out a small, peanut-shaped figure.

Maureen covered her mouth. The sound of her baby's heartbeat and actually being able to _see _her baby, was too much. Tears filled her eyes. It was at that moment she realized she couldn't give this baby up. Never. Even if it meant making a huge change in her life, she wanted this baby.

She wiped her eyes with her gown and looked up at the smiling doctor. "Thank you."

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Roger sat in the loft alone, strumming his guitar. Mimi was out at work and Mark was filming God knows what. He was about to go take a walk when his beeper went off. "AZT break," he mumbled.

He walked into the bathroom and opened the medicine cabinet. He pulled out his prescription bottle. After unscrewing the lid, he looked inside. Two little white pills left.

He popped one into his mouth as he realized something. Yesterday, he could have sworn he had three pills left for future use.

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Annette stared at the needle lying on the floor of the dressing room. She looked up at Chantelle's bewildered face, back to the needle. How could this be? Mimi had been so good for so long.

"We have to tell someone," said Annette.

"Who?" asked Chantelle. "We're not calling that Roger guy of hers. He scares the living hell out of me."

"But that's her boyfriend. Shouldn't he be the first to know?"

"No. Remember what happened last year when he found her in here, drunk and high?"

Annette recalled the incident. That had not been a fun time. "You're right. He'll probably dump her and then where will she be?"

Chantelle began to pace. "Maybe we should tell Teddy."

Annette walked over to her. "Are you crazy? He'll fire her. We need to find someone who can _help _her."

"Well, who?"

Thirty minutes later there came a knock on the door. Chantelle had gone onstage but Annette had stayed behind. She stood and walked to the dressing room door and opened it. There stood a handsome, African-American man in his mid-twenties. He wore a big smile on his face, as if he had been dreaming of this moment for months.

"Well, hello Annette," said Benny.

AN: Hope you liked it. By the way, get used to the cliffhanger. It's gonna be here awhile. And sorry I couldn't work Mimi into this chapter, but there was no way. Next one for sure. REVIEW PLEASE!!!!!!!!!


	9. Good Samaritan

AN: Hmm... not much to say. It's finals week and I'm stressed. Reviews would certainly put me in good spirits. So review!

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, and that includes Rent. **

Collins stepped into the chilly phone booth on Avenue A and picked up the receiver. He slid a quarter in and punched in the numbers.

Two rings. "Hello?" said a husky male voice.

"A.J. it's me," Collins said hurriedly.

"Hey, Collins. How's it going?" He talked in a friendly, light voice as if he didn't know why Collins was calling.

"Not good. I'm canceling tonight."

"What?" he exclaimed in shock. "You too? Come on, Collins, I can't take three cancellations in one night, it's bad for business."

Collins rolled his eyes. A.J. owned half the male prostitutes in Lower Manhattan and he was worried about a few drop-outs? "Did you read the _Voice_ today? I can't take that heat."

"Don't worry about it. The papers, sometimes they print things that aren't true to put the people's minds at ease. Besides, if you get caught, I know a guy on the inside who'll have you out in no time. You've got nothing to be scared of."

"I don't care. I was never cut out for this business and you know it."

"Collins, please…" he protested.

"No. I'll be over there in ten minutes to collect my final cut, and then I'm done." He waited for his response to this news.

"Okay. Come on over." He hung up.

Collins slowly put the receiver back and stepped out onto the bustling New York sidewalk. He took a look around to make sure there were no patrol cars in sight, then turned and headed up the sidewalk towards A.J.'s apartment.

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"Thanks so much for coming," said Annette as Benny took a seat.

"No problem," he said, looking around. "I'm happy to come. So, where is Mimi?"

"She's on right now. And I kinda wanted to talk to you about her." She fiddled with her hair nervously.

"I figured." He stood. "What's she up to?"

Annette sighed and walked over to the counter where the needle sat. She picked it up and handed it to him. "I found this in her purse."

He rolled it around in his hands, contemplating it. "You think it's hers?"

"Oh, I'm sure it is. She's been acting strangely the past few days. I figured it was just stress, but now…." She sat down in her chair.

Benny cleared his throat and put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Annette. I'm going to take care of everything."

Annette stood up. "Oh, really, Benny? You'd do that?"

He smiled at her. "Of course. I want to help."

She breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you so, so much." Footsteps came from the stage door. It was Mimi. "Oh, no!" whispered Annette. "She'll see you!"

Thinking quickly, Benny leaned in and kissed Annette. Mimi walked in through the door and gasped when she saw the scene. "Benny, what are you doing?"

He pulled away from her and smiled at Mimi. "Hey, Mimi." He turned to Annette. "I should go. I'll call you later." He kissed her again, and then left.

Mimi stared at Annette with a dropped jaw. Annette shrugged and tried to smile. "He's a real nice guy." With that, she passed Mimi and walked through the stage door and into the club.

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Mark sat in Thompkins Square Park, camera in his arms, filming an elderly couple feeding a small flock of pigeons. As he filmed, he thought. That's what he always did when he had his camera. Documentaries were not just his way of paying the rent. They were how he stayed sane.

Mark thought about what had happened just two weeks ago. He thought about walking in the door of the college party with his camera bag, ready to film any interesting happenings that went on there. He thought about how after ten minutes of standing around, he felt a prick on his shoulder. He thought about how he had walked to the bathroom, closed the door and pulled the small tack out of his arm with piece of tape that read, "Welcome to the world of AIDS."

The needlestick infection. He had heard of it, even been warned about it before, but never given it any thought. He always wore a rubber, stayed away from needles, and kept away when Collins, Roger, or Mimi was bleeding. If only he had thought to stay home and watch TV with Roger that night instead of venturing out into the cold world.

Mark stood and sighed. He put his camera away as the couple left. As he began to leave the park, he noticed something. Collins was across the street, hurrying up the sidewalk suspiciously in the direction of a run-down project apartment building.

Mark looked both ways, then turned and followed after him.

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Mimi walked in the door of the loft apartment, hung up her coat, and hurried into the living room where Roger sat. "Guess what," she said after he kissed her.

"What?" She had an anxious look on her face, the way she always looked when she found a juicy piece of gossip.

"You know Annette, the blonde, southern stripper girl who works at the Catscratch?"

Roger thought a moment. "The older one?"

Mimi nodded. "Yeah. Well today, guess who I saw her making out with in the dressing room?"

Roger smiled. "Who?"

"Benny." Mimi waited for his response.

Roger sat back. "Really? Wow. Benny really is making his way through the Catscratch girls, isn't he?"

Mimi slapped his arm playfully. "Shut up," she said as he began to kiss her. He stopped when he reached her lips.

"I've got good news. Joanne got us tickets to a Nirvana concert next week."

Mimi grinned. "Really? That's great! I can't wait!" She leaned in to kiss him again, but once again he stopped her.

"Mimi… someone has been taking my AZT.

"What? Really?" She stood up and walked to the bathroom where her pill bottle was. "Oh my God," she said when she looked into her bottle. "Me too."

Roger walked into the bathroom with her. "So… it wasn't you?"

Mimi looked at him with a shocked expression on her face. "No, of course not."

Roger nodded. "Okay. Well, that only leaves one person."

Mimi sighed. "Collins."  
"He did just lose his job," said Roger. "I can understand that he can't afford the medicine right now."

"Maybe you should talk to him," said Mimi as the phone rang. She walked into the living room to answer it.

Roger put the pills back in the cabinet. "Yeah, maybe."

Mimi answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Mimi, it's Benny. Damn, I was hoping Roger would answer, I was all prepared to do a fake voice."

Mimi looked behind her. Roger was still in the bathroom. "What do you want, Benny?" she said quietly.

"To talk. With you. About what happened today at the club."

Mimi sighed. "Is this really necessary?"

"Absolutely. Can we meet somewhere, tonight, outside the Village so that no one we know sees us?"

Mimi looked back to where Roger still stood in the bathroom. "What place?"

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	10. Shock

AN: I'm having fun with this story. I hope you're liking it. Please review, it really inspires me to write more. Enjoy!

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Rent. Well, I do own the movie Rent, I bought it a long time ago. But I don't own the characters. **

Joanne walked in the door of her apartment after a long day of work. She entered the living room and found Maureen passed out on the couch, headphones over her ears. She looked as though she had been through a long, stressful day. Joanne scowled. What did she have to be so stressed about?

She walked down the small hall to where the bathroom was. She wanted to just take a shower and go to bed, but she noticed the trash can next to the toilet was full. God knows Maureen wasn't going to empty it, so Joanne picked it up and began to carry it out into the hall. Then she noticed something strange sitting on the top of the pile of garbage. A plastic stick. She immediately realized it was a pregnancy test, and her heartbeat quickened. She took a breath, then lifted it and took a look at the top of it.

Blue. She gasped. She put the can next to the toilet. Fuming, she left the bathroom and walked down the hall, back to the living room where Maureen slept.

She approached the couch and yanked her headphones off with one hand. "Hey!" Maureen yelled, suddenly awake. "What was that for?"

Joanne raised the positive test up to Maureen's face. "What the hell is this?"

"Uh…" was all Maureen could manage at first. Dammit! How could she forget to hide that? She must have been so shocked she just dropped it in the trash without thinking. But now was not the time to curse herself. She had to think fast. "That's not mine," she said. She tried her best to look surprised and innocent.

Joanne didn't buy it for a second. "You have got to be kidding me. Only two people use that bathroom, Mo. I didn't take it, so that only leaves one person." Her eyes were livid and suddenly Maureen was very afraid.

"It's Mimi's!" she blurted.

Joanne looked confused. "What?"

"Mimi came over today and she… she said she was afraid she might be pregnant. So we bought a test and took it."

Joanne stared at her suspiciously for a moment. Then she gave a deep sigh of relief and sat down in a chair. "Oh, thank God. Sorry baby, I was so scared."

Maureen nodded nervously. "That's okay Joanne."

"I can't believe Mimi's pregnant," said Joanne, shaking her head.

"Yeah… but you can't tell anyone this. And… and especially don't tell Mimi that you know, she would kill me."

Joanne nodded. "I won't. I promise."

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Mark managed to stay at least half a block behind Collins the rest of the way to the apartment building, but realized there was no way to get inside. Collins would disappear and he would be locked out.

As Collins went in, Mark prayed that someone would come along who could let him in. However, when he tried opening the door himself, he found that the lock was broken and he could easily enter the lobby. He did, and once Collins had begun to climb the stairs, he continued to follow after.

What was Collins doing here? Did he have a friend in the building? Or perhaps a lover? Mark wanted answers fast. Collins walked up a flight of stairs and walked down the hallway. Mark stayed in the stairwell until he heard Collins knock on a door. Mark peeked around the corner to see what door it was, and saw when it opened a bulky man with a moustache greeted Collins and let him in. Mark hurried down the hall and pressed his ear against the door. Fortunately, it was thin enough that he could hear everything.

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Inside, Collins took a seat on the tattered couch. AJ sat in a recliner nearby. One other man was in the room, sitting on the couch next to Collins reading a newspaper.

"So, you want your final cut?" said AJ, a short, stout man with a moustache that wrapped around the corners of his lips.

"Yes. I'm done selling myself." He tried not to look AJ in the eyes, but it was difficult because he was staring intently at him.

"You sure about that? You've been doing very well, Collins. You could make some real cash. Ain't that right, Gary?" he said to the man with the paper. He nodded silently.

"Gary's been in this business for over two years. Never been caught, never gotten sick. You could be like him, Collins."

Collins looked over at Gary, who did not look happy at all. "I'd rather just get my cash and go."

AJ sighed and stood. "You the boss." He walked to a drawer and started counting out twenty dollar bills. When he had all Collins was due, he handed it to him and Collins stood to shake his hand.

"Thanks man, for everything. I mean it."

He smiled and patted Collins on the back. "No worries."

Collins turned to leave when Gary spoke for the first time. "AJ, who's my client tonight?"

AJ sat down. "She cancelled."

"Who? Which one?"

"Maureen, the brunette, the one you had a couple weeks ago."

Collins hand had been on the doorknob when he heard the name. It couldn't be. There had to be hundreds of brown-haired Maureens in this city. And yet, he had to be sure. He turned and looked at Gary. "Maureen… do you know her last name?"

Gary looked up suspiciously from his periodical. "Yeah, I think she told me… why?"

"I just… need to know."

Gary continued to stare at him quizzically, but finally said, "It was Johnson."

Collins heart stopped. "T-tall brunette with brown eyes? M-maybe a tank top?"

He nodded and returned to his paper. "That's the one. I had her about two weeks ago. Said she hadn't had sex with a man in over a year."

Collins slowly backed out of the apartment. He walked down the hallway with his mouth hung open. As he entered the stairwell, he heard footsteps running down and heard the slam of the lobby door. When he walked out on the street, he swore he could have seen a navy and white scarf whip around the corner.

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Benny sipped his coffee and looked at his watch. Why wasn't he surprised that Mimi was ten minutes late? She had probably been sitting in her apartment debating on whether she should even go.

But sure enough, almost twenty minutes after their scheduled time, Mimi hurried in the front door of The Black Panther restaurant in Chelsea. She was beautiful, exactly how Benny had remembered her from months ago.

She sat down across from him and he greeted her with an awkward, "Hey." She nodded and looked around, as if any of her friends would be caught dead in a place this ritzy.

"So, Benny, you and Annette," Mimi said after the waiter filled her glass with water.

Benny chuckled. "There's nothing going on there."

"Not yet, maybe," she said, smiling.

"You don't believe me?"

"I saw you guys making out in the middle of the back room."

"That was to cover up the real reason I was there."

Mimi thought about this as she sipped from her glass. "I see. What was the real reason you were there? And you better not say for me."

"Not for you. Annette had some interesting news for me that she wanted to deliver in person."

Mimi stared at him and tried to read his blank, businesslike expression. What was he hiding? "What news?"

With this, Benny reached into his pocket and pulled something out. He showed it to Mimi and smiled. "I believe this is your needle?"

She stared at it in shock for a few moments, then back to his face. He was grinning in victory. There would be no denying it. Benny knew.

She attempted to play it casually. "Yeah, so? What are you gonna do?"

"Tell Roger," Benny said, putting the needle back in his pocket.

Mimi coughed and choked on her water. When she caught her breath she said, "Benny, no. You can't. Please."

He continued to smile. He enjoyed watching her squirm. "Okay. I won't tell him. But I want something first."

She looked at him quizzically. "What do you want? Not money, I hope."

He smiled. "Of course not." He reached into his pocket again and pulled out the key card for a hotel room. "Across the street there's a Marriot hotel. Here's the key to room 126." He handed it to her and stood.

"I hope you're there." He left the table and walked out the front door, leaving Mimi to stare shocked at the room key in her hand.

REVIEWS PLEASE!!!! They may just speed along the next update... :)


	11. Revelation And Redemption

AN: Drama galore. Enjoy! And please don't forget to REVIEW!!!

**DISCLAIMER: I didn't write Rent. At least that's what my doctors say. **

Mark walked into the apartment, slammed the door, and hung up his scarf. Had Collins seen him? He had no idea. But right now his mind was full of questions and no one could answer them. He walked in the living room and sat down on the couch. Roger was in his room, so he was left alone to think.

Collins was a prostitute. A _prostitute._ Mark had wondered how he'd managed to stay alive these past few weeks with no job, but he just assumed he'd done some odd jobs or something. This was too much. He had to confront Collins and ask him what the hell he was thinking.

Also, Maureen had solicited. Maureen had cheated on Joanne. Two huge pieces of information. What was he supposed to do? Who should he tell?

Roger walked in the living room from his room. "Hey, man. Where ya been?"

Mark hesitated. "Just… you know, around."

Roger nodded. "Cool. Hey, you haven't seen Collins, have you?"

Mark looked at him suddenly. "What? No. Why?"

"I wanted to ask him something. About… where my pills have been going."

Mark's eyes grew wide under his glasses. Not this. Not now. "Uh… yeah, man, about that--"

With this, Collins entered. "Hey, guys."

Mark stared at him in shock and betrayal. He had to confront him soon. But not now.

Roger spoke up. "Collins, I need to talk to you."

He nodded. "Okay." He followed him into Roger's bedroom.

Then Mark realized who he had to tell first. He left the apartment and walked down to the street, then turned right and headed in the direction of Joanne's apartment.

"Collins, have you been taking my AZT?" asked Roger once they were safely in the bedroom.

Collins sat down on the bed. "What? I wouldn't do that, boy. I got my own."

Roger nodded. "Yeah but… someone has, and… well, you did just get fired, so I can see why you might--"

"Roger," Collins interrupted, "I didn't take any. I promise."

Roger looked confused. "But… but yesterday I had three pills, and when I looked today there were only two."

"Did you ask Mimi?"

"Yeah. It wasn't her; someone's been taking from her, too."

Collins thought a moment, reached into his pocket, and pulled out his pill bottle. He unscrewed the lid and peeked inside and began counting out capsules. "Oh, man," he said.

"What?" asked Roger.

"I'm missing one, too."

Roger sighed and sat down. "I don't get it. You, me, and Mimi are the only ones who are positive. Who else would be taking them?"

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Mark knocked on the door of Joanne's apartment and waited. It was after dark on a weeknight, so she had to be home. When the door opened, Joanne smiled widely. "Hi, Mark!" She was unusually excited to see him, as she had been the past couple of weeks.

Mark took a seat on the couch and Joanne sat next to him. Maureen was at the Life Café, she said.

"Okay, Joanne…" Mark looked into her eyes. They were bright, lilting, she was almost ecstatic about this visit. Something was not right. "I… why are you looking at me like that?"

She quickly wiped the smile off her face. "No reason," she said. "Continue."

Mark pressed forward. "Okay… ah… I was with Collins today and… well--" He sighed. "Joanne, Maureen cheated on you."

Joanne's expression remained blank. Then morphed into a look of horror. "What? With who? How do you know?"

Mark stood. "I—I can't say. I'm sorry. All I can say is that about two weeks ago she… solicited a male prostitute."

Joanne stood as well and began to pace. "I knew it… I noticed all that money from our bank account was gone but I didn't say anything because I figured she used it to buy something _useful._" She sank down on the couch in defeat, put her face in her hands, and began to cry.

Mark consoled her. "I'm really sorry Joanne." He put his arm around her, and when he did, Joanne looked up. Through the tears, there was a longing look, a loving look. Now Mark understood.

Before he could say anything, she threw herself onto him and kissed him passionately. They were making out on the couch and Joanne was fighting to get Mark's clothes off.

Mark was stunned. What was he supposed to do? If he rejected her, he would hurt her feelings even more. This would be the perfect way to repay Maureen for what she did to him when they were still going out. God knows it had been awhile before he'd had a girl throw herself at him. And, as long as he wore a rubber, there would be no risk of Joanne getting infected.

Mark broke for a moment and spoke, "Wait. Bedroom."

Joanne nodded and both stood and ran down the small hall to the room, hurried inside, and closed and locked the door.

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Mimi lay in the bed of the hotel room with a lit cigarette in one hand. Benny was in the bathroom getting dressed. What had she just done?

She had just cheated on Roger, that's what. But this was something she had to do. To protect their relationship. She had sat in the restaurant a long time thinking it over. She hated being blackmailed, but if it was the only way to get Benny to keep her secret, she would do it. Besides, Roger would never find out.

To be honest, she had kind of enjoyed it. It was nice being back in Benny's arms for a change. But she made it as quick as possible, and once it was over she ordered him out.

Benny walked into the main room fully dressed. He held a pistol, and Mimi recoiled.

"Relax," he said. "It's just for a little protection. The Greys know some scary people."

She nodded. He walked over and set it on a table. She stood and slipped on a robe. "So… don't you think you should go? I need to get back soon."

He crossed his arms and looked at her. "Right. I should go. I want to get to the loft before dark." He picked up his keys.

Mimi looked at him, stunned. "What? The loft? Why?"

"To tell Roger about this."

Mimi continued to stare at him in shock. "You… no. You promised. We had a deal. We do this, and you keep quiet about the needle."

He nodded and gave a sly smile. "Yeah… that's off. You see, I got to thinking. About how a couple of months ago you told Allison about me and you, and then she pulled me off the East Village project."

Mimi's eyes widened. "You… knew it was me?"

"Yep. And I think now's the perfect time for a little payback."

"Benny, no… please… I'm really sorry. Don't do this."

He picked up his wallet and kissed her on the cheek. "I gotta go. Roger's gonna be very interested to hear about this." He moved for the door.

Mimi panicked. She reached for the gun Benny had luckily left on the table, grabbed it, and pointed it at him. "D-don't move."

Benny stopped with his hand on the doorknob and looked at her. He laughed. "Yeah, right. Keep the gun, it's a gift." He began to open the door.

Mimi gripped the trigger with a quaking index finger. "You're not leaving. I won't let you tell him."

Benny opened the door and said, "See ya, Meems."

Mimi pointed the gun at his shoulder and fired, meaning only to stun him. But with her hand shaking so badly, the barrel twitched and sent the bullet flying into Benny's chest. He coughed, and fell against the door which slammed closed. Slowly he slid down, leaving a trail of dark red blood on the white paint.

Mimi gasped and ran to him. He was barely breathing. She shook him a little to try and jolt him back to consciousness, but it was too late.

Benny was dead.

I know, it's the mother of all cliffhangers. REVIEW PLEASE!!!!!


	12. Suspicions And Sonograms

AN: Okay, in case you didn't notice, last chapter ended with a BIG cliffhanger. I want to apologize for any damage you may have done to yourself over the past week wondering what was going to happen next. In the meantime, enjoy and REVIEW!!!

**DISCLAIMER: i dont own rent i dont own rent i dont own rent i dont own rent i dont own rent i dont own rent i dont own rent**

Mark lay in Joanne's bed. She was in the shower. Maureen was still at the Life.

Had he really just done this? He had just had sex with his ex-girlfriend's girlfriend. This was completely stupid. And on top of that, he may have exposed her to HIV. It had happened so fast. And he didn't want to tell anyone yet. Soon, but not yet.

He stood and walked out into the living room. If Maureen showed up, he didn't want her to find him in the bedroom. He entered the kitchen and opened a cabinet to pull a glass out, but felt his foot slide over something. He looked down and saw something strange and picked it up.

It was an x-ray from a doctor's office. No, not an x-ray, a sonogram of a woman's uterus. The kind of sonogram you get when you're pregnant. He looked at the top corner and saw the name. And gasped.

Maureen entered. "Oh, hey, Mark. What are you doing here?"

He didn't try to hide it. He showed the document to her. "What the hell is this?"

Maureen gasped and snatched it from him. He continued to look at her angrily. "Yes… it's true. I'm pregnant. But you can't tell Joanne."

Mark rolled his eyes. "Are you kidding? You can't hide something this big forever." _I am such a hypocrite, _thought Mark.

"I know," she said. "She found the pregnancy test, but I told her it was Mimi's."

Joanne entered wearing her bathrobe, but Mark didn't see her because his back was to the bedroom door. He continued to speak, "I can't believe you bought a prostitute and got pregnant by him!"

Joanne gasped. "WHAT?!?!"

"How did you know that?!?!" screamed Maureen.

Mark turned and saw Joanne's stunned face. "Oh, shit," he said.

Maureen began walking over to her. "Pookie… I'm really sorry."

She tried to put her arms around her, but Joanne pushed her away. "Don't be." She smiled over at Mark. "We had sex." She walked back into the bedroom and slammed the door, leaving Maureen to stare back at Mark in total shock.

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Roger sat in the loft watching more television. Earlier, Mimi had suddenly announced she was meeting one of her girlfriends for dinner and left. She had been gone almost two hours now.

Roger knew he had to tell her of his job opportunity soon. How would she take it? She would probably not want to move. But Roger had to do this. He loved finally making money, and he had to leave the Village sometime.

Mimi ran in looking frazzled and angry. She hanged up her coat and approached Roger, detached and confused.

"Hey baby," he said, standing up. "You okay?"

"Um…." What was she supposed to say? I just killed our ex-landlord and your former friend. "No. I'm not. Sit down."

"Okay…" Roger said, confused. He took a seat and Mimi sat next to him. "What's up?"

Mimi took a deep breath and looked into his eyes. She had been thinking of what to say for nearly an hour now. "I… I think we should go away."

Roger stared at her, surprised. Where was this coming from? "What? Why?"

"I don't have time to explain. Let's just say for now I did something really stupid. _Really _stupid. And we need to leave town."

Roger was stunned, but at the same time could not believe his luck. Mimi _wanted _to move, and he had not even told her about his job offer. He stood and began to pace. "Well… I think you're right. We should move."

Now Mimi was the shocked one. "Really? You're agreeing to this?"

Roger nodded. He was beyond curious as to why Mimi was so anxious to move, but he didn't want her to change her mind, so he laid off on the questions for now. "A few days ago… I found out… Fire in the Hole is moving."

Mimi nodded slowly. "Okay. To where?"

"San Francisco."

Her eyes went wide. "Wow. That far?"

He nodded. "And if I don't go with them, they'll sue for breach of contract."

Mimi considered this. They both wanted to move. This was going to work. There was only one problem. She had to convince Roger to leave _tonight._ That would make him even more suspicious. But if she wasn't gone by morning the cops would show up here and she would be looking at life in prison.

"Well then," she said. "Let's pack!"

Roger looked at her in shock "What? Now?"

"Well, yeah," she said, standing. "The sooner the better."

Roger looked on as she walked into the bedroom. "I didn't know you wanted to go tonight."

She turned and ran to him, jumping into his arms and kissing him passionately for a moment. When they broke apart, she whispered, "Come on, we'll take my car. We can drive through the night. It'll be romantic."

Roger nodded. It did sound nice, just the two of them on the road in the dead of night. "But what about your job?"

"I'll call and quit tomorrow."

"What about our friends? What about Mark?"

She thought a moment. "Where is he?"

"I think he's at Maureen and Joanne's place."

"Well then we'll go over there and tell them everything before we leave." She hopped off of him and walked into the bedroom

He stood in the living room, still stunned that she had taken this news so well. Not only had she agreed to moving, she had been so excited about it she wanted to leave _now._ What was she hiding? He would have to find out while they were on the road.

He followed her into the bedroom and began packing.

PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!


	13. Truth

AN: After a few desperate pleas, I've finally cracked and decided to update sooner. So enjoy!!! And as always, REVIEW!!!!!

**DISCLAIMER: tneR nwo t'nod I!!!!!!! yep that's 'I don't own Rent' backwards. W00t.**

Maureen sat on the couch in her apartment in tears. Mark sat in the chair across from her, not knowing what to say. Joanne was still locked in their bedroom.

"I'm sorry, Maureen," said Mark after a long half hour of no talking.

Maureen looked up at him. "How could you Mark?"

"How could I?" he said in shock. "Maureen, she's in love with me. She threw herself at me, what was I supposed to do?"

"No, Mark. I meant how could you tell her I had cheated? That's none of your business. More importantly, how did you find out?"

Mark was about to respond when there was a knock at the door. He got up to answer it, and found Mimi, Roger and Collins standing before him. Roger and Mimi held three packed suitcases. "What's going on?" Mark asked Collins.

He shrugged. "They won't tell me."

The three of them pushed their way into the living room and set down their bags. "We've got some news," said Mimi.

"You might want to sit down," Roger said to Mark and Collins. They nodded and sat down on the couch next to Maureen. "Where's Joanne?" asked Roger.

Hearing new voices outside, Joanne stepped out of the bedroom and entered the living room. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Have a seat Joanne," said Mimi.

She sat in the chair. "What's with the bags?"

"Well," said Roger, "we're moving."

Everyone gasped. "What?" said Maureen. "To where?"

"San Francisco. We leave tonight."

The four friends were stunned. "Why?" asked Mark.

"Roger has a new job!" said Mimi.

"Actually, it's the same job," said Roger. "The club is moving, and they say if I don't go with them they can sue."

"What?" said Joanne, almost laughing. "That can't be right."

Roger pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to her. "It's all right here in this employment notice."

Joanne scanned over the page carefully. After a minute, she looked up and said, "Roger, this document is completely invalid."

Roger stared at her in shock. "Really?"

"Really. There's no stamp, no signature from the employment board. You're getting screwed."

Roger snatched the paper back. "Oh my God." He looked up at Mimi. "This is great! Now we don't have to move!"

Mimi looked at him sadly. She shook her head, sank down into a nearby chair, and put her head in her hands.

"Baby, what's wrong?" asked Roger, kneeling down next to her.

She sighed and looked up at him. "Roger… something horrible happened."

He looked at her with a stony expression. "I knew something was up. Tell me."

She stood and began to pace in the small living room. All eyes were on her. "Okay… I just have to say it. Benny – he died. I killed him. Right after we had sex. I had sex with him because he threatened to tell you that I was on smack again, which I am. He was gonna tell you anyway and… I didn't mean to kill him. It happened so fast…." She trailed off as tears began to roll down her cheeks.

Silence. Stunned silence as the other five tried to comprehend what Mimi had just said. Words formed at their lips, but no sound came out. This was too much. Mimi turned to Roger. "I'm so sorry."

Roger was continuing to process the information. "I – I don't believe this. You – you lied to me!" He jumped up and began to move toward her.

Collins stood and moved between them. "Roger, sit down. We need to talk about this."

But Roger's famous temper wasn't ready for this news. Hot rage began to turn his face red, starting at the neck and moving up his chin and cheeks. Just when he looked ready to lunge forward and attack Mimi, he took a deep breath, swallowed hard, turned, and stormed out the door of the apartment.

The walls echoed with the _slam _of the door. Everyone looked up at Mimi in shock. She continued to cry, and when she saw the eyes on her, she hurried out of the living room into the bedroom and slammed the door. _Click. _She had locked herself in.

Collins continued to stand in the center of the living room. "So… I guess this is what happens when people keep secrets."

Mark snorted. "You're one to talk."

Collins turned to him. "What are you talking about?"

Mark stood and stared him down. "I'm talking… about A.J. And his little business of male prostitutes."

Collins mouth fell open slightly. "You… know about that?"

"Wait a minute," said Joanne, "would this be the same group of prostitutes that impregnated Maureen?"

Collins whipped around to face Maureen. "What?! You're pregnant?!"

Maureen stood next to Mark. "Yes. I am."

Collins shook his head in shock. "I knew you had been with Gary, but I had no idea you were _pregnant._ Maureen, this is serious. You can't let Gary or A.J. find out. If they do, they'll pressure you to get an abortion, and if you don't, they'll kill you."

Maureen considered this. "I don't want an abortion."

"Then I suggest you stay away from them for awhile."

Maureen nodded. "Okay."

Joanne stood. "Collins, how do you know all this stuff? Were you… involved with these guys?"

Mark crossed his arms and suppressed a wicked grin. "Yes, Collins. Do tell."

Collins sighed and looked at Maureen and Joanne. "Okay… a couple of weeks ago I… I – had sex with a prostitute."

Maureen and Joanne gasped. "You too?" said Maureen. Mark stared at him in unbelief.

Joanne turned to Mark. "Is this true?"

Collins looked over Joanne's shoulder at Mark with a pleading look. Mark sighed. No sense in destroying Collins' good name for nothing. "Yes."

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Inside Joanne and Maureen's bedroom, Mimi sat on the bed and cried her eyes out. How could she have been so stupid? Had she not gone looking for a fix again last week, this wouldn't have happened. Benny wouldn't have found the needle, she wouldn't have slept with him, and therefore probably wouldn't have killed him.

So stupid.

She stood and began walking to the edge of the bed when she stepped on a piece of paper. She looked down and found a folded document. On the blank side was the name Mark Cohen. _Why would Mark have left a piece of paper in Joanne's bedroom?_ thought Mimi.

She unfolded the piece of paper and began to read. She recognized it as an HIV +/- test. _And why would Mark take an HIV test?_ She continued to read, and saw at the bottom in large, block lettering the word, "POSITIVE."

And suddenly it became very clear where her AZT had been going.

REVIEWS ARE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED!!!!!!!!!!


	14. Crash

AN: Sorry I didn't update sooner, but fanfiction was down last night. Enjoy and review!!!

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Rent, but fanfiction lets me write stories about it. Thank you fanfiction. **

Roger sat in the dark, smelly bar a block away from his apartment. He sipped his fifth beer silently. The first two he had pounded in the course of a minute.

How could she? How could she lie to him like that? He had never been angrier in his life, and the alcohol was only making him realize that more. He wanted to pound something. He would never touch Mimi, that was out of the question. If Benny was still alive he would take it out on him.

He had to do something. He stumbled out of the bar, the beer clouding his judgment more and more. He staggered down the sidewalk in a daze, finally making it to the parking lot of their apartment building. He felt in his pocket and noticed he still held the keys to Mimi's car. He spotted it at its place close to the door.

Screw her. She was a cheating whore. He opened the door, climbed into the driver's seat, and stuck the key in the ignition. He pulled out of the parking lot slowly, trying to be as careful as he could, but the massive amount of booze in his bloodstream made it difficult.

He managed to speed across a few blocks, getting some honks from the few drivers that were out this time of night. Somehow, after a few minutes, he made it across town all the way to Chelsea.

The car was doomed to crash from the moment Roger stepped in it, but even the soberest drivers wouldn't have spotted the gas slick in the road that night. At the same time, a woman was crossing the street, and Roger had no choice but to swerve right, sending him flying into the lobby of a hotel. He smashed through the glass and collided with the front desk, which luckily had no people at it at the time. The engine was battered and quickly aflame. Gasoline caused the fire to spread across the furniture and walls. Roger, with his last bit of common sense, crawled out the front door of the car, and passed out on the debris-covered floor of the lobby.

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Mimi slowly opened the door of the bedroom and walked out into the living room. Everyone stared at her sadly, but Mimi ignored this and walked to Mark. "Mark…" she said. "I – had no idea…."

Mark frowned. "What?" He spotted the paper in her hand and understood. She knew. "Uh, yeah, I should –"

"What is that?" asked Collins. He took the paper from Mimi and unfolded it. Joanne and Maureen read it from over Collins' shoulder. All three gasped at the same time and looked up at Mark. "Oh my God," whispered Maureen.

"Mark, how?" asked Mimi.

So, Mark told them the story of the party and the needlestick incident. He said the reason he hadn't told anyone was because he didn't want them feeling sorry for him. He couldn't take that.

"Well," said Collins, "I guess that solves the mystery of the disappearing AZT." Mimi nodded.

All of a sudden, Joanne gasped. She looked at Mark with an evil glare. "You – you had sex with me… when you knew you were positive!"

"What?!?!" shouted Collins and Mimi at the same time.

Mark sighed. "Joanne… what was I supposed to do? I couldn't turn you down…."

"Why the hell not?!" shrieked Joanne. "Mark, do you know what this means? I may be infected now!"

Mark's eyes filled with tears. "I am so, so sorry. But let's not freak out until we know for sure."

Joanne took a deep breath and appeared calm, even though she continued to glare at Mark. "Where did you go to take the test?"

"The hospital."

Mimi's cell phone rang. She answered and heard a man's voice she didn't recognize. "Is this Mimi Marquez?"

"Uh, yeah," said Mimi, wondering how this man got her number.

"This is St. Lucas Peace hospital. Your boyfriend, Roger Davis, has been in a car accident, and you were listed as his emergency contact."

"Oh, my God," she said. Everyone watched her. "What happened?"

"He crashed into a hotel. Looks like he's been drinking."

She sighed, knowing that she had caused this. "How bad is it?"

"He's in bad shape, but he'll be okay."

"Thank God… can I see him?"

"Of course."

"Okay. Thanks." She hung up and turned back to her friends. "Roger was in a car accident. They said he was drinking."

A sad silence filled the room. What was happening to them? What was to come? Today, they had seen more drama than there was in an entire season of _Days of Our Lives. _When would it stop? All the secrets, lies, and confessions. And now, one of their friends was injured because of it. This had to stop. Honesty and rationality was their only hope.

"We should get to the hospital," said Mark.

They agreed, and filed out of the apartment quietly.

Please review!!! Pretty please!!!


	15. Hospital Visit

AN: Thanks again for all the reviews, I'm really loving this story. Keep it up. And hooray for updating sooner. I have dress rehearsals all week, so I knew I wouldn't be able to do it tomorrow. Enjoy!

**DISCLAIMER: For the bagillionth time, I don't own Rent. **

The five friends sat in the waiting room of the hospital for over thirty minutes, hoping and praying. Roger was going to make it, but that didn't take away any of the stress they felt.

Mimi was on edge. It would soon be sunrise, and a then a maid was going to walk in the hotel room, and when she opened the closet and found Benny's body there was going to be hell to pay. She figured she had about three hours to get out of town. She would see Roger, then grab her bags and run for cover.

The nurse entered the waiting room. "You can see him now."

They stood and followed her down the hall to Roger's room. She opened the door and led them inside. There lay Roger, unconscious with a bruise on one eye and a cut across his cheek. Other than that and a few other minor injuries, he was in good shape.

Mimi sat down next to him and took his hand. "Roger… I'm so sorry," she whispered.

A man in a charcoal suit entered with a police officer close behind. "Hello, I'm Lieutenant Brown with the NYPD. Is this your boyfriend?" he said to Mimi.

"Yes," she said, standing.

"I need to speak to you in private." He looked at Mark, Maureen, Joanne, and Collins. They nodded and left the room.

"So," he said, taking a seat on the opposite side of Roger's bed. "Roger is very, very fortunate, Miss Marquez."

Mimi snorted. "Right."

"It's true. This could have been much worse. He crashed into a hotel, and because of the amount of fuel present, the entire building burned to the ground. Fortunately, the fire didn't spread fast, and all residents and staff made it out unscathed."

She nodded. "Where was this?"

"In Chelsea, the Preston-Fremont Hotel."

Mimi's heart stopped. Her eyes grew wide. That was the very hotel in which she had had sex with and killed Benny Coffin. The hotel his body was hidden in.

She was free. Free. The fire would have destroyed the body and any incriminating evidence. There was just one issue… Allison. She would be looking for him.

"Miss Marquez?"

Mimi snapped out of her stupor. "Yes?"

"Your boyfriend will be prosecuted, but it will be much less serious since no one was hurt. You might want to call any legal counsel you want. We plan on questioning him once he's coherent."

Mimi nodded slowly, still lost in thought. "Right… ok. I just have to make a call first."

Brown stood. "Of course. I'll see you soon." He left, and the officer followed behind him.

Mimi waited a few moments, and then left the room. Her friends were waiting in the hall. "Can we come in now?" asked Joanne.

"Sure… but I think I'm gonna go in the waiting room for awhile. That okay?"

They nodded and entered the room. Mimi walked down the hall to where the waiting room was. She approached the receptionist's desk. "Do you by any chance have a phone book I can use?"

"Sure." She reached into a drawer and pulled out the thick, heavy, book and handed it to her. "Here you go."

"Thank you." She walked over to a chair and sat, pulling her cheap cell phone out of her purse. She flipped to the 'C' section and found Coffin. Benjamin and Allison. _Not anymore_, thought Mimi.

She dialed the number. Two rings before Allison answered. "Benny?" She sounded frantic.

"Um – no," said Mimi.

"Oh. Sorry, who is this?"

"Allison, this is Mimi Marquez, an old friend of Benny's."

"Oh," she said bitterly. "You."

"Uh, yeah. Look, I know you don't want to talk to me now. And I'm really sorry to call you, but I'm afraid I've got some bad news."

"Oh? What is this news?"

"Benny… he – he – left."

A pause. "What?"

"He came here with bags and… he said he was going away for good. He wanted me to tell you because he couldn't do it himself. He said that you shouldn't try and call him."

Allison tried to absorb this. "What… no. I… no. It can't be."

"I'm really sorry, Muff- Allison."

She had begun to cry. "Did he… say anything else?"

"Yes… he said he loves you very much. And that he's sorry."

She took a deep breath. "I can't believe this. I thought things were starting to go well for us again."

"Allison, this isn't about you. He… loves you. And… it's not that he didn't think it would work out. He just… had to go."

She sniffed. "Okay. Thank you Mimi."

"Of course. Goodbye, Allison."

She hung up the phone, put it back in her purse, and sighed. She waited a few more minutes, then stood and headed back to Roger's room.

Please review!!! Tell me what you think so far!!!


	16. Break Up, Break Down

AN: SO SO SO sorry for the late update. You have no idea how stressful last week was. Our school is doing West Side Story, and we had dress rehearsals Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday night. Our productions were Thursday - Sunday nights. I wanted to update yesterday, but my Internet was down. So yeah, I apologize. Enjoy! And REVIEW!!!

PS. This chapter is so short it shouldn't even be called a chapter. Let's call it a chaplet.

**DISCLAIMER: I DONT OWN RENT OR FANFICTIONNNN!!!**

When Mimi returned to the room, Roger was stirring and was soon awake and talking to his friends. She approached the bed cautiously. He noticed her, and turned away.

"Roger, please," she said, sitting next to him. "I'm sorry."

"I don't care. I don't ever want to see you again."

She stared at him sadly, pleadingly. "Roger…."

"Mimi. It's over."

She nodded slowly and began to cry a little. "They… they said they're going to question you. You need legal counsel."

Joanne spoke up. "I'll do everything I can."

Roger nodded to her. "Thank you."

The lieutenant entered. He looked at Roger. "Mind if we have a talk?"

Joanne stood and shook his hand. "I'm Joanne Jefferson. Any questions you have will be asked while I'm present. Clear?"

He nodded. "Everyone but Roger, Mimi, and Joanne, out please."

"Actually," Mimi said through silent tears, "I'm gonna go, too."

He didn't even acknowledge her. He simply took a seat next to Joanne and Roger, and pointed everyone else towards the door.

Collins called after Roger as he walked to the door. "We'll stop by later man; we got a lot to fill you in on."

Roger smiled. "Thanks, man."

Collins, Mark, Maureen, and Mimi left silently. They walked into the waiting room, and all three hugged Mimi.

"I'm so sorry, girl," said Maureen.

Mimi sniffed. "It's okay. I brought it on myself. I think… I'm gonna go home."

"Wait," said Mark. "What are you gonna do about Benny?"

"Oh," she said, smiling a little. "That's not a problem anymore."

"What?" all three said in unison.

"Don't worry about it. I'll tell you later." With that she picked up her coat, and hustled out the hospital doors.

Told ya it was short. Next chapter should be up sooner. PLEASE REVIEW!!!


	17. Tonight

AN: Once again, thanks for all the reviews. They're great. This chapter is long to balance out my last super short chapter. The title for this chapter is also the name of a song from West Side Story, which I recently performed in. This chapter kinda reminds me of that scene. Enjoy and please please pretty please review!!!

**DISCLAIMER: **

_Two Weeks Later…_

"Roger, have you seen my socks?" Mark shouted from the bedroom.

His roommate stepped into the room and leaned against the frame, smiling as he watched Mark frantically searching the floor for his socks. Finally, when Mark looked up at him desperately, Roger held them up. "You mean these socks?"

Mark scowled and snatched them from him. "Thanks."

They walked into the living room. "What are you so tense for?" asked Roger. "The concert will be fun, it'll help get your mind off things."

Mark nodded slowly. The gang had been looking forward to the Nirvana concert for awhile now. It would be the first time all six of them spent time together in two weeks. Mark was half dreading it, half anticipating it.

Things with Joanne and Maureen had been weird lately. Ever since both hers and Maureen's tests came back negative, there had been a strange tension between the threesome. The morning after everyone was back home, Joanne had kicked Maureen out. Maureen didn't argue, no one did. Everyone pitched in and gave Maureen some money so that she could get an apartment of her own, and she came to the realization that she might have to work for a living if she was going to support her baby. She managed to get a job as a waitress at the Life Café, which paid fairly well.

Meanwhile, Mimi had moved out of Mark and Roger's apartment and back into the one downstairs. The landlord let her have it back for the same price, no problem. This landlord was a lot nicer than Benny.

Mimi was clean. She didn't even check into rehab. After what she put everyone through, she knew it was time to get off the stuff for good. However, she and Roger rarely spoke, unless they saw each other in the halls or passing on the street.

The six friends agreed never to speak of the fate of their former landlord. If anyone asked, he moved away. That's the way it was.

Mark took his own AZT regularly now, no longer stealing from his friends. Collins, Roger, and Mimi solemnly accepted him into the group of friends that was HIV+.

Collins was struggling. The prostitution was a dirty job, but at least it put bread on the table. He flat out refused to flip burgers, so he held out for a job where he could use his mind. This was putting a strain on his rent payments. He knew if he didn't do something soon, he would be on the street.

Roger had told his gang members about the bogus deal they were getting. They confronted the manager and he admitted it was a scam. The club said they would really appreciate it if the band moved with them, but since no one was forcing them they didn't see any point to move. The Well Hungarians were doing pretty good, and shortly after they quit they got a new gig in a larger club called The Revolution House.

And now Roger was waiting. For Monday, when he and Joanne would stand in front of a judge and plead their case. Due to his injuries, the NYPD had been generous and decided not to throw him in jail. And for the past two weeks after that, he and Joanne had been spending every night working on his case. What her opening statements would be, who the witnesses would be, and what Roger was to say when he was cross-examined. Joanne had done this many times before, but now that it was for a friend, it felt much more real.

As of now, Joanne said they had a 50-50 chance of getting off on probation. That still worried everyone.

"You ready?" Roger asked from the doorway as he grabbed his coat.

Mark looked up at him, no longer lost in thought. "Yeah," he said, standing up. He flipped his scarf around his neck, and hurried out the door behind Roger.

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Mimi stood in front of her mirror, finishing applying her lipstick. It was bright red, the same stuff she used when she stripped. She hoped Roger would like it.

She missed him so much. The breakup had been very hard on her, and had made it even harder for her to quit using. At least Roger had been there for her the first time. But she got through it, and was looking forward to the concert.

The thought that Roger might be heading off to prison on Monday made Mimi want to vomit. She couldn't bear the thought of not seeing him every day. She tried not to think about it. Nothing could spoil tonight.

Tonight would be the first time she and Roger spent more than five minutes together in a long time. And however bad she felt for him, she still wanted him to eat his heart out, so she had dressed particularly sluttish. Oh well, it wasn't like she was going to the opera or anything.

She picked up her coat and walked out the door. When she stepped into the hallway, she saw Mark and Roger walking down the stairs. She tried to jump back in her apartment, but it was too late, they had spotted her.

"Hey, Mimi," said Mark. Roger stopped and smiled at her.

She walked over to the stairs. "Hey guys."

Mark stared at her. "Wow. It's been awhile since I've seen you all… you know…." His voice trailed off as Roger shot him an angry look.

She laughed. "Right. Well, let's go."

They nodded and walked down the stairs together.

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Collins sat on the couch, watching television and eating a frozen dinner. It was cold, because his microwave was very old and heated things poorly. But he had to eat, at least now.

Most of the furniture in his apartment was gone. He had sold everything he could to pay the last rent. It was getting harder and harder to do, but he had to find a job soon. It had been almost a month, something would turn up soon.

In the meantime, he toyed with the idea of finding a roommate. He didn't want to move back into Mark and Roger's place. He wanted someone new. Someone fun. Someone with a _job._

He looked at his wrist, and then remembered he had sold his watch yesterday. He stood and looked at the digital clock in the kitchen. 7:00. It was time to meet his friends for the concert. This would be a nice way to relax and have a good time, and forget his troubles.

He grabbed his cheap leather coat and walked out the door.

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Maureen walked into her tiny apartment after a long, ten-hour day of work, threw her shoes off, and flopped down on the couch. She knew she had only a few minutes until she had to leave, but she needed to sit.

She had never worked this hard in her life. Hell, she had never even _worked_ in her life. But this was how it had to be. She needed to make money to get a bigger place than this to make room for what was coming.

How could she have been so stupid? Maureen had asked herself this question many times in the last two weeks. She had been sick of getting nothing but female love, and was hungry for something new. And the one time she went for it was the one time she got pregnant. Great.

She looked around at her pathetic living quarters. A small living space with nothing but an overhead bulb for light. One old couch, one old coffee table, and one old color TV resting on that coffee table. An adjoining kitchen, just to the right of her small bedroom (half of which was occupied by her bed) and bathroom.

That's what she was living in. A world away from Joanne's lovely little two-bedroom. She wanted out. She couldn't stand this place. She thought about moving in with Mark and Roger, but they were doing fine. She wanted to find someone who needed a roommate as bad as she needed a new apartment.

But she could ponder this later. She only had a few minutes before she had to leave to meet everyone. She walked into the bathroom, and with what little makeup she had, managed to make herself look decent. After all, Mimi wasn't the only one trying to impress an ex.

After she was all ready, she picked her coat up off the couch, and headed out the door.

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Of all three women who were desperately trying to impress someone with looks tonight, Joanne was the most desperate of all. She ran frantically around her apartment, spraying her hair, trying on new outfits, and covering her face with every bit of makeup she had.

All for Mark.

She and Maureen were through. _Finito. _Dead. She had put up with enough of her crap. It was time to enter into a new part of her life. A time where she didn't have to worry about where Maureen was, who she was with, or what she was wearing.

Despite the awkward tension between them the last two weeks since the sex, and despite her anger at him for almost infecting her, Joanne was still madly in love with Mark. She still couldn't stop thinking about him. Tonight was her chance to show him that things could work out between the two of them. Tonight would be her chance to flaunt everything she had to get him to take notice. And for that, she had to look damn fine.

But tonight would also serve another purpose. With Roger's trial on Monday, Joanne was looking for something to get her mind off the unbearable stress. She couldn't stand the thought of watching her friend walk off to prison.

After nearly an hour of work, Joanne spot-checked herself in the mirror and approved. She was wearing black booted heels, a lovely black strapless top, and a tiny skirt that showed just the right amount of leg. Her hair and makeup looked great.

Time to go. She walked out of her bedroom, grabbed her coat, and clicked out the door in her fancy boots.

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Joanne was last to arrive at the bus station, which was no surprise to anyone when they realized how long it must have taken for her to get ready.

Mark and Maureen both approached her, but Mark spoke up first. "Joanne, you look… great."

Roger put his arm around him. "You're checkin' out all the ladies tonight, Cohen." Mark brushed him off and laughed.

Joanne smiled. "Thanks Mark. Are we ready?"

The bus slowly pulled up to the curb and screeched to a stop. Everyone looked around at each other and nodded.

"Let's go."

Thanks for reading! PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!


	18. The Concert: Part One

AN: Sorry this took so long. I was lazy this week. Hope you like this. It's kinda short, but the last chap was really long. So enjoy! And PLEASE REVIEW!!!!

**DISCLAIMER: DONT OWN RENT**

Everyone had been worried that after two weeks of silence, it would be difficult to get along as well as they did before. Not so. In fact, the conversation flowed effortlessly, with very few awkward pauses. Even Mimi and Roger felt comfortable around each other again.

Once the bus was rolling, Roger cleared his throat and said, "Guys, I know you're all worried about the trial on Monday. I am too. But… Joanne and I would prefer it if we could just… not talk about it at all. We want to, you know, have a good time and shit. Okay?"

They all nodded. "No problem, man," said Collins.

Maureen and Joanne's eyes met several times during the 15-minute ride uptown, and when they did, both looked away immediately. Both were drawn to each other, but neither wanted a relationship. Maureen had a baby to deal with, and Joanne was completely obsessed with Mark.

Mark. Throughout the conversation, Joanne longed to talk to Mark. She wanted so badly to get him to look this way, to notice her again like he had when she first approached. But there would be time for flirting at the concert, where the lights were low and the music was loud.

The friends were concerned for Collins when he told them of the squalor he was living in. He claimed to love it, that it felt more bohemian, more true to himself. But everyone could see his true feelings. Maureen mentioned that she, too, was having a tough time paying for things. Collins had an idea, but kept it to himself for now.

Finally, the bus rolled to a stop in front of Madison Square Garden, and the six friends hopped out. They walked over to the entrance, handed over the tickets, and walked in the giant, crowded foyer. A huge poster of Nirvana was printed across the far wall.

Excitement rushed through everyone's veins as they entered the stadium where people were searching for their seats and technicians were running across the stage. This was the first rock concert for all of them, with the exception of Joanne, who came from a completely different world.

They found their seats, and for nearly half an hour sat talking nervously of what was to come. Mimi sat next to Roger, and the two of them talked pleasantly and reminisced old times. Roger suddenly realized how much he missed her. She was stunningly beautiful tonight. He wanted to kiss her. But was he ready to forgive her? He would see how the night played out

Collins and Mark sat next to each other, talking about the happenings of the past weeks. Mark told Collins that everyone was worried about him.

"I know. I know. But it'll get better, I promise."

Mark nodded. "Still, you need to come up with something to take the edge off a little."

"Well," said Collins. "I've thought about playing the roommate card."

"That's a good idea. Any names come to mind?"

Collins glanced down the row at Maureen, who was flirting with a young European headbanger. Joanne was rolling her eyes and scowling. "Nope, not yet," he said.

Joanne was desperately trying to get Mark's attention. She crossed her legs, showing enough leg to get her thrown out of the place, and he finally began to stare a little. After awhile he said, "You look really good tonight."

Joanne beamed. "Thank you, so do you."

"Look," said Mark. "I know we really haven't had a chance to talk about what happened a couple weeks ago. But I think tonight might be a chance for us to –"

At this, the lights in the stadium dimmed, the stage lights exploded, and the crowd roared as Nirvana climbed onstage.

I tried to fit the concert all in one chapter, and it didn't work. Part 2 should be up sometime soon. REVIEW!!!!!!!


	19. The Concert: Part Two

AN: Sorry it took me forever to update this, but I had to go out of town unexpectedly last Friday for a funeral. If you can't remember what happened last chapter, simply flip back one and refresh your memory. As always, please review!!!

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Rent. Shut up, neither do you. **

The first song played by the band was "Heart-Shaped Box." It was probably the band's most famous number, and the six friends cheered at the top of their lungs when they recognized it. Halfway through the song, they ran into the aisles and jumped around like crazy people.

When the first song was over, the friends sat down in their seats and enjoyed the rest of the concert. Maureen stood to go to the bathroom, and Collins followed after her. When they were a safe distance from the others, he stopped her. "Oh, hey Collins! What's up?" She had to shout over the loud music

"Mo, I wanted to talk to you about something."

She leaned against the back wall and crossed her arms. "Allrighty."

"Look, I know your going through a rough time, with the new job and the baby coming. And…I want you to know you're not alone."

She rolled her eyes. "I know, Collins, I know. I don't need you feeling bad about me." She began to walk away, but Collins stopped her.

"That's not it. I was thinking… there might be something we can do to help each other out."

She looked suspiciously at him. "What are you suggesting?"

"Well… maybe we could… you know, live together for awhile."

Maureen paused and stared at him. She had not even considered the idea of a roommate. It made sense. And Collins was such a great guy. Even better, he was gay, which meant no risk of something physical happening.

"Well?" he asked.

"I'll think about it," she said casually, and walked away. She didn't want to seem too desperate. But she was.

Collins shook his head and chuckled. He would never understand that girl. He walked back to his seat and sat down just as a new song started.

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As the softer song "Lithium" played over the speakers, Mimi went in for the kill. She leaned into Roger and softly put her hand on his leg. Roger jumped a little and looked down at the hand, but said nothing.

What was he supposed to do? Mimi looked hotter than ever tonight. He couldn't say no.

As the song reached a faster verse, Mimi looked into Roger's eyes and he looked back. "I've really missed you," she said, just loud enough for him to hear over the music. She leaned forward even further to where she was just below his lips, and kissed him.

It was a passionate kiss that lasted only a few seconds. Roger leapt up from his seat and out in the aisle, almost knocking over a young teenage couple. "Sorry… I gotta go." He walked up the steps and out into the lobby.

Mimi sat in her seat for the rest of the song, wondering if he had left or just gone out for some air. She was too depressed to get up and look.

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Mark sat in his seat between Collins and Joanne. Collins mind seemed to be elsewhere, so he had no choice but to face the awkward conversation with Joanne.

She tapped his shoulder and motioned for him to follow her. She left the stadium and walked out into the lobby area. They walked over to a bench near a T-shirt stand and sat down. "So…" he said, trying to get things moving.

"Yeah… Mark… there's something I have to confess. Something you probably already know, but I still need to say it."

He looked at her steadily, waiting.

"Mark… I think… I'm in love with you."

He had been expecting to hear those words, but that made it no easier to comprehend. He felt nothing romantic for Joanne. How could she possibly love him? What was so great about Mark?

"Mark? Are you okay?"

She deserved to know the truth. He couldn't lead her on. It would only hurt her more in the end. "Joanne…."

She sighed and tears began to form. She, too, had been expecting this, but now she had to experience it… telling someone you love them and not hearing it back.

And yet, she didn't want him to feel bad or uncomfortable. She didn't want him to feel like he could never talk to her again. "I know… Mark I don't expect you to… reciprocate or anything."

Now Mark was crying. He felt terrible. "Joanne… I don't know what to say. I'm so sorry…."

"No," she stopped him. "Mark, please, don't be sorry. I want you to know… that night we spent together… it really meant a lot to me."

Mark nodded. "Me too. Oh, God, Joanne… I don't want to lose --"

"No," she stopped him again, "Mark, never."

He nodded as they embraced, hugging each other tightly, crying into each others' shoulders as the song "Come As You Are" played softly from the stadium.

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After almost half an hour of waiting silently in their seats, Maureen finally beckoned to Collins from down the row. He got up and followed her out into the lobby. "So, Collins, I've got some great news."

He smiled. "Really?"

"I'd love to live with you!"

He laughed and hugged her. "That's great, Maureen! I can't wait!"

"Me either," she said. "But you should know I have a few ground rules."

Collins nodded. "Okay. Like what?"

"Well… for starters, I'm gonna need the larger bedroom."

Collins laughed again. "Oh really? Why is that?"

Maureen shrugged. "It just makes sense. I'm the girl, remember?"

He chuckled and shook his head. "Okay, Maureen, okay. What else?"

She then launched into a long list of things Collins could and could not do, and things he could and could not have. Collins began to wonder if he should have thought this out a little more, but then again, at least his roommate had income. It wouldn't be so bad.

"I'll start packing tomorrow," she said when she was done with her list.

Collins put his arm around her as they walked back to their seats. "And I'll call some movers this week."

"Sounds great." Maureen smiled up at him. "This is gonna be fun."

Collins smiled back. "It sure will."

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Twenty minutes later, Roger had still not returned. Mimi sat alone in her seat silently. Who knew where the other four were.

Finally, she found some courage and left her seat and walked out into the lobby. She walked towards the bathroom and nearly knocked Roger over turning a corner. "Hey," she said awkwardly.

"Hey," he said. "Look, um… I've been thinking…."

She nodded. "Okay."

"About… how much I've missed you these last two weeks."

She smiled. "Yeah…."

"Mimi… I don't think I can live without you. I thought I could when I first met you, and I couldn't. I thought I could when you started using again last year, and I couldn't. And I thought I could after what happened a few weeks ago and… Mimi, I just can't."

She grabbed his hand as tears began to form. "Roger… I feel the same way. It's hell when I'm not with you. And I regret everything I did to hurt you. I'm so sorry." She hugged him and he held her.

They stood there for awhile, not saying anything, and then Roger leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "I love you, Mimi."

She looked up and smiled at him. "I love you, Roger."

They kissed, and for a moment the world was perfect. Until they felt a figure walk by them and stand to their left. They broke apart and turned, expecting to see one of their friends.

It was Allison Grey. Mimi and Roger stared at her in shock. They didn't know what to say. What was Allison fucking Grey doing at a Nirvana concert?

"Hello, Mimi," Allison said, just loud enough for her to hear.

Roger spoke up. "Allison, what are you doing here?"

She barely even acknowledged his presence. "I knew you'd be here. I was there when your friend won those tickets. Six tickets. I knew all you scum would be dying to see a barbaric performance like this."

"Allison… I..." Mimi could hardly even speak. This was not the Muffy she knew. Her quaint, stuffy elegance was gone, replaced with pent-up anger.

"I know Benny's dead. I know he didn't leave me like you said he did. Want to know how?" She didn't give her time to respond. "Because he had made plans to go away with me to the Caribbean the day after you called."

Mimi was sweating. What did she want? She hoped to God it was only an apology. "Allison, I'm really sorry, but you don't know. He threatened me!"

Her expression remained stony. "I don't care." Slowly, she reached into her coat and pulled out a 9mm pistol and pointed it at her. "This is for my husband, you whore." She fired, and the bullet went directly into Mimi's stomach. She was thrown against the wall, and fell down on the floor. Roger shouted for help. Allison ran, down the small hall and out the lobby door to the street.

Roger frantically kneeled down next to her. She was alive, but fading. People were running around, screaming for help. Soon, Mark, Joanne, Collins, and Maureen were all standing around Mimi as well.

"It's okay, Mimi," Roger whispered through tears. "You'll be fine." She seemed to hear him.

The stand-by paramedics arrived within a minute, and quickly placed her on a stretcher and carried her to the ambulance. The friends said goodbye to Roger and said they'd meet him at the hospital. Roger explained he'd tell them everything when they got there.

He rode with her in the ambulance all the way there, holding her hand and crying.

PS. Just so you know, we're getting down to the wire here. I think you can expect two more chapters. PLEASE CONTINUE TO REVIEW. It means a lot!!!!!


	20. ER

AN: Update here. Enjoy and review!!!

**DISCLAIMER: I don' owne Rent I tell ye!**

As they hurriedly lifted Mimi out of the ambulance and into the cold night air, Roger prayed for the first time since his youth. He prayed to God that Mimi would be kept safe, that she would live, and that they would be together forever.

He ran down the hospital hall along with the EMTs, Mimi unconscious on the stretcher. They reached the ER, where the doctors were waiting with scalpels and morphine. Before they closed the door to the see-in room, Roger stopped one of the doctors. "She has AIDS," he whispered to him.

The doctor nodded. "Thanks. We'll do what we can."

And so he waited and watched as they drugged her and opened up the top of her stomach. His eyes shifted from the table where she lay to the life support machine she was plugged into. It gave weak beeps, the lifeline shooting up and down sharply.

After a short while it became unbearable to watch. The doctor told him this could take up to an hour, so he decided to visit his friends in the waiting room.

There they sat, crying, praying, hugging and comforting each other. Roger marveled at this, his family. He had grown up in a home where everyone kept to themselves and showing your feelings was forbidden. To have such wonderful friends he could turn to at this time in his life was more than he could ever ask for.

Mark stood when he saw him and wrapped him in a hug, and the others quickly followed. "What the hell happened?" Collins asked.

"Allison," Roger said solemnly.

"Oh, God," whispered Joanne. "Will she be okay?"

Roger shrugged, trying and failing to hold back tears. "I don't know. They're operating, but we don't know what's gonna happen."

They nodded. "Can we see her?" asked Maureen.

He nodded and they followed him down to the ER. As soon as they arrived and began to watch, the beeps on the life support machine quickened and flatlined. The doctors attempted to revive her, but it wasn't working. Mimi's body laid still on the table.

Roger screamed, "No!" and ran in the door to the operating room.

A female doctor stopped him as the other two began to pull the paddles out of the case. "You need to leave." But Roger didn't budge, just watched anxiously as the doctors struggled to get a pulse out of Mimi.

"Clear," the doctor said firmly as he pressed the paddles down on her chest. The voltage shook her body, but the lifeline remained flat.

"We're losing her," the other male doctor said. They upped the voltage and tried again. Roger's hands were in his hair, and he was praying harder than he ever had in his life.

Nothing. No response. The doctors stepped away sadly and placed the defibrillator back in its case. They stepped out into the hall as Roger slowly approached Mimi's body.

He threw himself on her, crying into her neck, moaning her name over and over again. The four friends filed in, all crying silently as they watched their friend.

Mark approached to try to pull Roger away, and when he did noticed something. The life support machine had begun to beep again. Roger hadn't heard it through his sobs. Slowly, he lifted his head, and saw that the lifeline was back. He gasped silently and looked back to Mimi. Her eyes flickered and opened.

"Mimi!" he shouted. "Mimi, can you hear me?"

She struggled to lift her head, but couldn't. "Roger…" she whispered.

"She's alive!" said Maureen.

The doctors ran forward and began checking her vitals. "She's stable," they said. "But we need to get her to ICU."

Roger nodded. As they began to wheel her out, he leaned forward and kissed her softly. "I love you, Mimi."

He began to pull away, but she pulled him back and whispered in his ear, "Benny says hey."

He smiled and watched as they took her down the hall. He turned back to his friends. "You guys should go home. Get some sleep."

They all nodded and left, except for Joanne. She approached him. "I'll meet you at your place tomorrow afternoon so we can go over some stuff for the trial."

He nodded. "Thanks." She left, and Roger walked off to ICU to see Mimi.

I think there will only be one chapter left, but it could possibly be two if it turns out to be too long. PLEASE CONTINUE TO REVIEW!!!


	21. The Calm Before The Storm

AN: Okay so I changed my mind. I couldn't get all I wanted in one chapter. Next one will definitly be the last. I hope. REVIEW!!!!!!

**DISCLAIMER: I d o n ' t o w n R e n t. **

"A little to the left!" shouted Maureen to one of the movers who was trying to maneuver her couch. They were down on the street, loading her belongings into a large truck.

It was Sunday afternoon, the day after the concert. Mimi was still in the hospital, Roger and Joanne were at the loft working on trial stuff, Mark was filming, and Collins and Maureen were struggling to get her things to his place.

"Maureen, would you just let them do their job?" Collins said. She had been annoying the movers all day with her nagging, not to mention her flirting.

"Sorry, Collins, but they're not doing it right," she said, jumping out of the way as they lifted her coffee table into the truck.

He sighed. "Look, these guys know what they're doing. They know where my place is and they have a key. Why don't we just go away for an hour or two while they finish up?"

She nodded. "Okay. Where do you wanna go?"

"We could go see Mimi in the hospital. We haven't been since last night."

She nodded and smiled. "Allright, fine." They walked to the curb to get a cab. But I am _this _close to getting that guy's number," she said pointing back to one of the more muscular movers.

Collins rolled his eyes as they stepped into a cab. "Right. Good luck with that one, Maureen."

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Roger and Joanne sat over the coffee table in the loft poring over legal papers and files. Roger, of course, understood none of it at first sight, so Joanne was a big help.

"Now remember," Joanne said. "What is our number one point?"

"Lack of malicious cause," Roger said, something he had memorized from Joanne saying it over and over again."

"Absolutely right. You were intoxicated, and therefore should only be held accountable for the DWI."

Roger nodded. "Okay… so when I plea guilty to that…."

"They'll ask about the destruction of public property, to which you'll plea -"

"Not guilty."

"Right. And then the trial starts. Both sides give their openings statements, and then the state will start calling witnesses."

"Who will they be?"

"Well, we don't know for sure, but I'm guessing the owner of the hotel, the ambulance driver who found you, guests at the hotel, and any bystanders who were there."

"And who are our witnesses?"

"The bartender at the place you went to, a man who saw you drive away, and the woman crossing the street that made you swerve."

"What about…Mimi?"

Joanne sighed. "I know we wanted her there, but she's in the hospital and won't be released until tomorrow night. The trial starts tomorrow morning and the judge says we can't push it back anymore. We'll have to go on without her."

Roger hung his head and nodded. "I told her last night that she could potentially be a witness. But I doubt she'll be able to leave early."

"We have to plan on doing it with the witnesses we have. Now, let's talk about cross-examination."

At this, Mark walked in the door, camera bag under his arm. "Hey, guys. Sorry if I'm interrupting."

"Oh, no," said Roger, eager for a way out. "We were just finishing up."

Mark sat down in the living room chair. He and Joanne looked at each other and an awkward silence filled the room. Roger stood. "I think I'm gonna go down to the Life and get a cup of coffee." He grabbed his coat and left. The slam of the sliding metal door left an even more awkward silence.

"So," said Mark, "I know we haven't really had a chance to talk since last night."

Joanne was still organizing papers on the coffee table. "Look, Mark, I'm really busy. The trial is tomorrow."

"I know. But I just thought, maybe it would be best if we put all this behind us. You know, start fresh."

She thought for awhile. This whole Mark thing had been such a mess. She wanted badly to throw it all away and try to move past him. It would be a big relief.

She smiled. "Okay. We can try that."

Mark smiled back. "Thanks, Joanne."

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Roger walked in the door of the loft. Mark, Maureen, and Collins were all downstairs, and they had told him to bring Joanne. This could be their last night all together, and they wanted to spend it in the hospital with Mimi, so that all six of them could be together.

"Joanne," he said, entering the living room. She was still sitting on the couch and reviewing documents. "Joanne, come on, we're all going to the hospital to see Mimi."

She didn't even look up. "Roger, if you want to win this case, we need to be prepared."

"We_ are _prepared. We've spent two weeks going over the same stuff."

"But there are still a few more testimonies I want to be sure of."

"So what? Joanne, we know what we're doing. Let's go have some fun. I might not be having much more for three to five years."

She stood. "Roger don't say that."

"Sorry. Now are you gonna come with us?"

She crossed her arms and thought. "All right, all right let's go."

He smiled. "Thanks. We're gonna be fine."

They walked downstairs and left with their friends for the hospital.

Only one chapter left probably!!! Please keep reviewing!!!


	22. The Trial: Part One

AN: Okay... it's a long story. Let's just say my family experienced a tragedy shortly after I last updated. I lost someone very close to me. I am moving past it now, and I am catching up on stuff I've been ignoring for a long time out of grief. I'm very sorry and I realize I may have lost some readers because of this. But writing is truly what I love to do and I plan on writing more after this. Thank you for being patient with me.

I believe last time I told you this would be the last chapter. Well, I lied. After I came back, I made some major changes to this chapter and now it's much longer. I'm thinking after this there will be two more chapters. Enjoy! Please continue to review (those of you who are left)!!!

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own r-e-n-t.**

Roger walked in the door of the large, white marble courtroom wearing a freshly pressed rented blue suit. He had on navy blue slacks, leather shoes, and a striped red and white tie. He had never been this dressed up before in his life, but Joanne had insisted and he obeyed. Anything that would help his odds.

He walked down the wide aisle past a half-full room. At the front were his friends, Collins, Mark, and Maureen. His band was also there, along with a few regulars from his club. The rest were either people he barely knew, or old lawyers looking to see a good trial.

He and Joanne took their seats behind the bar on the defendant's side. They were greeted by pats on the back by their friends, who sat directly behind them. Joanne opened her lawyer's briefcase and began to prep him one last time. The judge would enter in ten minutes, she said.

Mimi's condition had improved remarkably in just a day. She could walk, although the doctors insisted she stay in bed for at least another day. She wished she could be there, and she promised to be thinking of him.

After a few minutes, the jury entered and took their seats to the far right of the room. Roger tried to smile, but most of them wouldn't even look at him. Joanne nudged him, indicating that he should keep his eyes forward.

Finally, the bailiff opened the door and said, "All rise for the Honorable Judge Lawrence."

The courtroom stood as the man entered in black robes. He was older, late fifties perhaps, with a full head of hair that was just beginning to turn gray. He had a mustache and a round, overweight build. He climbed the small steps and sat down on his throne. "You may be seated," he said to the crowd, and they sat.

"Roger Davis," the judge said, opening his case file. "You are here on two charges, one of which is operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol. How do you plea?"

Joanne stood and motioned for him to do the same. "Guilty," he said, with a hint of shame.

Lawrence nodded. "Very well. The next charge is destruction of public property. How do you plea?"

"Not guilty," he said, this time confidently.

He nodded again. "Okay. Let's get started. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, you have been brought here to decide the guilt or innocence of this man before you. The prosecution will speak first, then the defense, and then the prosecution takes the stand. Are there any questions before opening statements?" He scanned the jury box. No hands. "Let's begin."

The lawyer for the State was a young man, short with longish hair. He looked eager to get started. Roger wanted to punch him already.

He began by stating what happened that night, something the jury already knew. Roger was hammered; he got in his car, and crashed into a hotel. He mentioned that many residents were "shocked and traumatized by what occurred that night" which would be presented to them shortly. He said that Roger was irresponsible with his actions and therefore should pay the consequences in full.

When he finally sat down, he shot a menacing look toward the defense table not at Roger, but at Joanne. "You know him?" Roger whispered.

"I went up against him in a civil liabilities case. I won and his client got zilch. He's held a grudge ever since."

Roger nodded. _Great, _he thought, _another reason this guy wants to take me down._

Joanne stood and crossed over to the jury box. She thanked them all for being here; something the other guy apparently forgot to do. She again stated what happened that night, this time emphasizing that Roger was heartbroken over a personal matter. She mentioned that the road conditions were hazardous even for a sober person. And she reminded the jury that even though the building was destroyed, not a single person was hurt. The hotel was entirely insured and didn't cost the owners a cent to rebuild, which is why they never pressed charges themselves. She sat down about twenty minutes later, and Roger gave her a big smile and a nod. She beamed.

The judge turned back to address the courtroom. "We will now hear witnesses from the prosecution." He nodded to the young lawyer and he stood.

"The State calls Henry Fremont."

An ancient man stood from the prosecution side and made his way over to the witness stand. As he took his seat the lawyer said, "State your name."

"Henry Fremont."

"Your occupation?"

"I've owned the small chain of Preston-Fremont hotels for forty years." He said this proudly.

"And where were you on the night in question?"

"I was in a board meeting on the ground floor, not far from the lobby."

The young man began to pace. "So you were there the night Mr. Davis had his accident?"

"Yes, I witnessed it from the conference room."

"Would you like to tell the jury what it is you saw?"

The man cleared his throat. Roger rolled his eyes. This was all so fake. "I saw a small, old vehicle smash in through the glass entrance of the lobby. He swerved and collided with the front desk, which burst into flame. He stumbled out of the car, fell on the floor and appeared unconscious. Everyone evacuated the building from the rear and side exits."

"Was anyone hurt?"

"No, but only by the grace of God."

Roger scowled, which fortunately was heard only by Joanne, who shot him a look.

The lawyer continued. "How did the driver of the car, Mr. Davis, appear to you?"

"Heavily intoxicated. He also appeared to be a bit mad; I mean who in their right mind would crash their car into -"

"What a load of crap!" Roger exclaimed. The entire courtroom turned to look at him, a few snickering.

The judge stared angrily down at the defense, and Joanne looked at Roger as though she might strangle him. "I apologize for my client, your Honor, it won't happen again."

He turned back to the State. "You may continue."

The lawyer looked at his notepad for a second before turning back to the judge. "No further questions."

The prosecution called three more witnesses. Two were guests staying at the hotel who were also in the lobby at that same time. They basically restated what the owner had, with a few extra details thrown in. The last witness for the State was the ambulance driver. He had done the blood test on Roger the hour they found him. His BAC was approximately 1.1.

After the prosecution had finished all its testimony, the judge called a short recess. Roger asked Joanne if he had screwed himself with that 'load of crap' comment.

"Doubtful," she said, which brought great relief to Roger. "It happened early, which means most of the jury will forget about it. Plus from the looks of it, many of them found it funny."

Roger smiled. "But you didn't."

As the judge entered, Mark, Collins, and Maureen wished them luck once again, and the trial recommenced. Joanne called her first witness, the bartender. He stated that he was partially responsible for Roger's accident because he didn't call him a cab. He had not been paying attention at the time, and let Roger leave shit-faced.

Another witness was a man who had seen Roger get into his car, obviously drunk. He expressed regret at not stopping him and felt horrible about it now.

So far, things were going well. The jury appeared to respond well to the testimony. Joanne's next witnessed was Roger himself. After she got through all the ordinary stuff, she began questioning him.

"Mr. Davis, what was it that made you drink so heavily that night?"

"It was my girlfriend," Roger said. He had rehearsed these lines for a long time now, and he was glad he had. "She had cheated on me and betrayed me. I was devastated."

"And what else were you feeling?"

"Anger. A lot of anger at her. I didn't want to hurt anyone, I was just… angry." He looked down at the desk before him, as Joanne had instructed him.

"And so you drank…."

"Yes. I drank a lot. I've always struggled with drinking, and I've finally decided to get help with that now."

The testimony went on for a little while longer. Roger described the hazardous road conditions, including the gas slick and the woman in the road by the hotel. He expressed deep sorrow at what he had done and would give anything to take it back. As he stepped down from the stand, he made sure the jury could see the tear rolling down his cheek.

Brilliant acting.

The final witness for the defense was the woman who had caused Roger to swerve. She took the stand, and Joanne began to question.

"What did you do when you saw Rog – Mr. Davis coming at you that night?"

She sat there and stared at Joanne with a dumb look on her face. "What?"

Joanne paused. "The night of Roger's accident, you were there, remember?"

She continued to look confused. "I'm not sure I know what you're talking about."

_What's going on?_ thought Roger. _We went over this testimony with her a thousand times!_

"I was not there that night, Miss Jefferson," she said defiantly, and crossed her legs.

Joanne turned back to look at the young lawyer at the prosecution table. He sat there staring at her, with a small smirk on his face.

He had bought her out.

Joanne flipped through her legal pad. She pushed through. "Ah – are you aware that perjury is a federal offense in an American courtroom?"

"Yes, I am."

Joanne cleared her throat nervously. "I – I suggest, uh, that you tell this jury the truth, ma'am, or -"

"Oh, I assure you, I am telling the truth. I've never seen this man before in my life."

Roger was boiling. Judge Lawrence looked down at Joanne. "Miss Jefferson, if you have no further witnesses maybe you ought to sit down so we can proceed."

"Well, Your Honor, you see, I was hoping that – uh, that --"

"She does have another witness," called a voice from the back of the courtroom. Every head turned to see who was there.

There, in the doorway stood Mimi Marquez, on crutches and with a hospital escort at her side. She began to make her way down the aisle.

Roger walked over and helped her. "Mimi," he whispered. "You shouldn't be here."

"No," she insisted. "I want to be."

Collins, Mark, and Maureen looked on proudly as the woman stepped down and Mimi took the stand. Joanne looked ready to weep.

The State lawyer stood. "Your Honor, this witness has not been approved by you! She can't testify now!"

The judge looked down at young Mimi. "She seems like someone this courtroom can trust to tell the truth. I don't see any reason why we can't hear her story." He nodded to Joanne. Joanne nodded to Roger.

"State your name."

"Mimi Marquez."

So... what do you think? Is it as good as before? I know it's been awhile but I wanna know! REVIEW!!!!


	23. The Trial: Part Two

AN: Okay. Haven't updated in awhile, I know. But I've been super busy. Believe me. A mission trip, a camp, and a play coming up. It's the next to last chapter, so enjoy! And review!

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Rent. But I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. **

"Miss Marquez," Joanne began, "you were romantically involved with Mr. Davis at that night, correct?"

"Yes."

"What exactly did you say or do that caused him to drink so heavily?"

"I had cheated on him with my ex-boyfriend," she said with shame.

"And what was his reaction to this?"

"He was extremely angry. I knew he would probably drink but had no idea it would be that much."

"Was there anything else that might have added to his outrage?"

"He also learned that I had begun using drugs again, something he strongly disapproved of."

"And you are clean now, is that correct?"

"Yes."

"Why did you not stop Mr. Davis when you saw how angry he was?"

"Because I didn't think it would do any good. He was out of his mind with rage. But after I saw what happened I immediately regretted it."

"Miss Marquez, women cheat on their boyfriends and use drugs all the time. What about this incident was any different?"

Mimi took a deep breath. Now, instead of looking at Joanne or the jury, she turned and looked straight at Roger. "Because he trusted me. With all of his heart. And I betrayed him for my own pleasure. That hurts. And if I was in Roger's shoes, I would have done the exact same thing."

Roger looked at her fondly and Joanne couldn't help but smile.

"Do you take responsibility for what Mr. Davis did that night?"

"Yes. It was all on me. I cheated, I started using again, even though I knew he would be furious. And I didn't try to stop him when he stormed out. It was very stupid of me."

Joanne nodded and thanked her. "No further questions, Your Honor."

Mimi stepped down and hobbled over to the defense table with the help of the bailiff and the hospital escort. She sat down next to Roger.

"You were fantastic," Roger whispered. "I can't believe you're here."

Mimi smiled. "We're gonna win, I know it."

Next was cross-examination. The State was to go first. They chose to question only Roger and Mimi.

Roger stepped up to the stand and the young State attorney approached. "Mr. Davis, did you go to a bar on the night in question?"

Roger looked at him funny. Had that not been clear? "Yeah," he said.

"Did you drink excessively while you were there?"

"Yeah."

"Did you leave the bar and get into your car while drunk?"

"Yeah."

"Did you drive while intoxicated?"

"Yeah."

"And did you crash your car into the hotel, endangering all its inhabitants and yourself?"

"…Yeah."

He nodded and smirked. "Thank you. No further questions."

Roger sat, stunned at the quick and painful examination. He got up and walked back to the table.

Joanne whispered in his ear, "That was a bold move."

Roger said nothing.

Mimi stepped up to the stand again with the help of the bailiff and the escort. When she was situated, the attorney began, "Miss Marquez, you and Mr. Davis broke up after he learned of those things you had done, correct?"

"Yes. He broke up with me while he was in the hospital."

"Then why did you choose to testify for him?"

Mimi opened her mouth to say that it was because they had gotten back together, but stopped. That's exactly what he wanted her to say. He wanted to make it seem like the only reason she spoke for him was because she was his girlfriend. Not today, buddy.

"Because it truly was my fault. He drank because of what I did, not because he simply felt like it. I'm to blame, not him."

The attorney's smug look vanished. He looked back down to his yellow notepad. He asked her a few pointless questions before sitting back down.

Mimi returned to the table. Roger hugged her and Joanne whispered, "Thanks for not falling for that."

It was the defense's turn now. Joanne had chosen to cross-examine only Fremont and the ambulance driver. Both were fairly basic and uneventful because both their testimonies were solid. But Joanne did manage to make Fremont sweat a little.

"Mr. Fremont how many fire exits and fire escapes were there in your hotel?"

"About twenty," he said.

"That's quite a lot."

"Yes, more than any other hotel in Central Manhattan."

"So, you realize that if there were a fire it would be virtually impossible for someone to become trapped with no escape?"

He blushed a little. "I suppose."

"And no matter what or who started the fire, there was really no chance of anyone getting hurt because of all those exits."

He continued to look embarrassed. "I suppose."

"Therefore, it wasn't really the grace of God that saved those people. You built that place to be so safe that no one could get hurt in there."

He nodded in admittance. "That's right. I did."

She smiled a little. "That'll be all for now."

The judge cleared his throat. "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, you've seen all the witnesses and heard all the testimony. It's time for closing arguments. The State will go first, then the defense. After that, you may deliberate for one hour."

The State lawyer stood and addressed the jury. Unlike before, he was now keeping it short and simple. He covered all the basic points they had gone over before. Mr. Fremont's testimony, the eyewitness accounts, the level of alcohol in Roger's blood. It was all there. Towards the end he said, "The bottom line is, Mr. Davis was drinking and driving and he destroyed someone else's property. Period."

Joanne stood and moved to the jury box. She spoke clearly and calmly, and no one could sense the desperation in her voice. "Ladies and gentlemen, you have all the facts. But there's one thing most, if not all of you, can ever understand. Mr. Davis' emotions that night. He was lied to, cheated, and betrayed and given no way to deal with his anger but to drink, and drink a lot. He is not the guilty one here. The one person he trusted in the entire world failed him. And when that happens, you can't stop and think. You can only act. The charge he is faced with is destruction of public property, which can only be done when one is of a sound mind. He did not maliciously attack this building. It was a freak accident, and should be treated as such."

She took her seat, and the judge turned to face the jury once more.

"Any questions?"

None.

"Good. You have one hour."

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The jury filed in after 53 minutes. The courtroom fell silent. The judge asked the defense to stand, and Joanne, Roger, and Mimi did so in unison.

"Has the jury reached its verdict?"

The foreman stood. "Yes, Your Honor. We find the defendant, Roger Davis--"

Haha, yeah, I know it hurts. But this has been a very cliffhangy story. So I figure it's the perfect way to end the penultimate chapter. The last one will be up before long, I promise. REVIEW!!!!!!!!


	24. Secrets No More

AN: Wow. This is it. The final chapter. I just want to say that this story has been an amazing experience for me. I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have. Thank you so much for being dedicated readers! I love you all!!! Please review!!!

**DISCLAIMER: yo no owno rento**

Joanne, Maureen, Collins, Mark, Mimi, and Roger all sat around a table in the Life Café, a huge bottle of champagne in Mark's hands which he sprayed all over Roger. Everyone laughed and cheered, and there were shouts around the café of "Not guilty!" Roger had his arm around Mimi and was grinning. Joanne beamed also.

"Can you believe it?" shouted Collins over the roar of the restaurant.

"Did you see the way that lawyer guy threw his briefcase in the bushes outside?" said Joanne. "I'm still the queen!"

Roger squeezed Joanne's shoulder, "I can never thank you enough, Joanne. It was all you."

Collins stood up. "I'd like to make an announcement."

Maureen elbowed him in the ribs and he sat down. "I'm telling it, Collins. This morning, the movers finally hauled all my stuff to Collins' place!"

"So it's official?" asked Mimi.

"Yep," they said. "We're roomies!"

"That's great," said Mark, also standing up. "I'd like to make a toast."

Everyone raised their glasses of wine and beer and fruit punch (for Maureen).

"To no more secrets!"

Everyone cheered.

"And," he continued, "to not stealing AZT."

"And not selling yourself to pay the rent," said Collins.

"And not crashing into hotels," said Roger.

"And not getting pregnant by male prostitutes," said Maureen.

"And not having sex with your best friend," said Joanne.

"And not… well, you know…" said Mimi.

Everyone laughed. And kept laughing. All night.

THE END!!! DA-DA-DA-DA THATS ALL FOLKS!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! PLEASE REVIEW AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THOUGHT OF MY STORY!!!!


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